


Rivals in Love (Honoka x Tsubasa)

by DistantSenpai



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/F, Friendship, Long, Romance, slow buildup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2019-12-18 17:58:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 72,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18254960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DistantSenpai/pseuds/DistantSenpai
Summary: After the first preliminary round of the second Love Live, Honoka's thoughts are completely filled with the leader of A-RISE, Tsubasa.  Eventually, it's enough to cause interruptions during µ's' practice sessions, so Honoka finally confronts Tsubasa.  Will this chance meeting end as a misunderstanding, or maybe bloom into something more?





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Love Live.
> 
> Hello everyone,
> 
> This is my first ever fanfiction written. Not just the first for Love Live, but first ever. There may be some bumps as I get used to things, but I hope everyone is able to enjoy the story as it unfolds. Of course, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated here, as I may end up writing in a way that isn't very entertaining due to my lack of experience. Please help me on this front.
> 
> As for this story - This will be a chapter-oriented work. TsubaHono is my favorite LL pairing, and I wanted to write my own story about them after consuming a bit of TsubaHono fanfiction by some of the amazing authors on here. With the nature of not having too much material on Tsuba's personality, things may get a bit OOC at times, but hopefully I'll be able to improve on this front in the future. I hope I can get across some of the same feelings that I felt while I read those stories.
> 
> Thank-you for reading.

“..oka?”

“..noka.”

“Honoka!”

The leader of µ's eyes suddenly widened after she was brought back to reality, and she scanned the classroom for a second before noticing an irritated Umi and a smiling Kotori.  She grinned sheepishly and let out a quiet laugh, trying to hide her embarrassment at getting caught zoning out. 

Umi crossed her arms and tilted her head quizzically.  She was used to Honoka zoning out and being a bit of a ditz sometimes, but she couldn’t think of a reason as to why she’d be distracted now.

“Sorry, it’s time for practice, right?”  Honoka apologized and stood up from her desk quickly, full of newfound energy. 

“Wait, what were you-?” Umi started, but cut herself off after she saw Honoka’s usual smile, deciding she was worried for nothing. 

“You’re right, let’s go,” she smiled softly and held out a hand to Honoka, who quickly took it along with Kotori’s.

* * *

 

“Three – four – five – six – seven- eight – Okay, stop!”  Eli quickly announced, then smiled a bit as the entire group of µ's resonated in their exhausted sighs. 

Honoka quickly found a spot to sit on the rooftop, leaning against the railings as she gulped down her water bottle.  Practice for Love Live was tougher than usual, and it was only going to get worse from here on out.  She let out another sigh as her thoughts drifted elsewhere, drowning out the happy chatting of her group. 

Honoka thought back to the events that ended a few days ago.  The days where she was able to practice alongside A-RISE and even got to give their preliminary performance at their school.  Sure, she was immensely grateful for the opportunity given to µ's, and practicing with their rival group and at a different location than usual was fun in itself, but her main concern was something else.  A certain short-haired brunette, the leader of A-RISE, Kira Tsubasa.  When she was dragged into the school by her on that day and given tons of praise in front of her whole group, it seemed normal at the time, but as she replayed it in her head over and over she became increasingly embarrassed. 

Why?  Why were her thoughts filled with Tsubasa?  She and her group were the reason Honoka came up with the school idol idea, but surely that’s not all there is to it.  Maybe it’s..

“..Honoka!”

Honoka jolted as she was forced out of her thoughts once again, and then looked up at the worrying gazes of the 8 other members of µ's.  She looked flustered as she tried to search for an explanation for her odd behavior, but her scarlet cheeks weren’t from being tired from practice.

“Um-!”  Honoka started to attempt an explanation, but stopped as the mischievous girl with long, purple hair crouched down in front of her. 

Honoka nervously looked into Nozomi’s eyes, but Nozomi simply smiled in response.

“Hm, maybe we should just call off practice for today?”  Nozomi suggested in a playful manner as she looked back at the rest of µ's, who were surprised to hear those words.

“Nozomi!  What do you-“ Eli started in a mix of surprise and irritation, but Nozomi quickly stood up and brought a finger to Eli’s lips, shushing her with a wink.  Eli could only feel and appear flabbergasted in response as Nozomi quickly turned her attention back to Honoka.

“You’re not this distracted usually, Honoka-chan.  There’s something else you want to do right now, isn’t there?”  Nozomi asked with a friendly smile, and the other members of µ's relaxed after they understood.

“If our leader’s this distracted we won’t get much done anyway,”  Maki said as she looked away with a ‘hmph!’  

A nervous brunette was fidgeting, but then received a friendly light shove from Rin.  “Come on, go go!”  Rin said energetically as she looked expectantly at her friend, Hanayo.

“U-Um..”  Hanayo fidgeted a bit more, but then looked straight at Honoka with focused eyes.  “You’ve helped me out a lot, so if there’s something bothering you, you don’t need to be so considerate of us...”  she trailed off and her eyes wandered again, wondering if she was overstepping her boundaries, but looked back at Honoka after catching a bright and patient smile from Rin. 

“We’ll be here to help you when you need it, so take care of yourself first instead of worrying about us,”  Hanayo finished with a nervous sigh and quickly received some congratulatory pats on the back from Rin, who was grinning from ear to ear.

“Well if you're going, then I'll just need to take your spot as the center,”  Nico warned quickly with a soft smile.

Honoka looked around at the calming smiles of the other 8 members of µ's, then finally relaxed.

"Everyone...thank you!" Honoka said happily before quickly running down the stairs from the rooftop.

The rest of µ's smiled again, then they all quickly turned their heads after they heard a loud clap, their eyes now resting on Nico. 

“Alright, let’s go!”  Nico said quickly, then started to walk toward the rooftop exit. 

“Huh?  Go where?”  Umi and Eli replied almost in unison, confused at Nico’s behavior.

“Ah!  We’re following her, right?”  Kotori pieced together as everyone else looked at her with surprise, excluding Nico, who had a sly grin.

“Ehh?” the others responded in unison.

 

* * *

 

Honoka wasn’t sure that the issue was as big as the rest of µ's seemed to think it was, but she did need to clear up why she was feeling this way.  Having her head filled with Tsubasa was only going to worsen µ's performance, and that was the one thing she wanted to avoid most of all. 

Before she knew it, she was standing at the gates of UTX High School, her hands clutching her knees as she attempted to catch her breath. 

Even though the practice for µ's was cancelled, she still had to run all the way here, so the only people still on campus were those with club activities.  Was she too late?  Did A-RISE even practice today?  As she thought of a ton of different questions, the murmurs around her started to grow louder.

“...Excuse me...”  Honoka looked up after she heard a timid voice, before noticing a cute girl in a UTX uniform in front of her.  It was only then that she noticed a small crowd gathering, whispering to each other. 

“C-Can I…have your autograph?”  the timid girl asked quietly as she bowed and stretched her hands out towards Honoka, presenting a notebook and a pen.

“Eh?”  Honoka uttered, completely lost.

The crowd became more rambunctious as time went on, and Honoka was at her wits end as more and more people approached her, but a rift started to appear in the small crowd. 

Suddenly, Honoka was face to face with the source of her troubles, Tsubasa.  The crowd started to whisper about the meeting of these two, and began to get even more excited now that their own school’s idol showed up. 

Tsubasa’s face looked serious as she looked into Honoka’s eyes, expecting some kind of reason for suddenly showing up at their school.  She hadn't had many interactions with µ's, but maybe they’re actually the type of group to try to pull away A-RISE fans?  Maybe Honoka was sent here to try to get dirt on A-RISE?  Maybe...

“U-Um…”  Honoka murmured with a blush, trying to avert her eyes from Tsubasa’s piercing gaze. 

“I...uhm, this isn’t...” she trailed off as her blush became deeper, then Tsubasa showed a relaxing smile.

“Of course not,”  Tsubasa muttered under her breath, then quickly grabbed onto Honoka’s hand. 

“Come with me!” she exclaimed happily as she pulled Honoka along with her, almost reenacting the same scene from that day a few weeks ago as some fangirls squealed at the sight. 

Honoka managed to not trip as she was suddenly pulled along, but she soon smiled.  Being near Tsubasa was fun for her.

But why?

* * *

 

Meanwhile, the 8 other members of µ's, all wearing shoddy disguises poorly put together, were standing far from the gate of UTX High School with their jaws dropped. 

“What...just...” Umi tried to collect her thoughts.       

“Honoka, she…with...” Maki attempted to comprehend it as well.

“Tsubasa-san?!” the group responded again in unison, on the same page.

 

* * *

 

The door to the club room burst open, and the two other members of A-RISE turned their heads to see an out-of-breath Tsubasa and Honoka.  They weren’t surprised through, as the only reason Tsubasa knew about Honoka being at UTX was the fact that they could see the school gate from the window of their clubroom. 

Anju and Erena stayed quiet for a moment, letting Tsubasa and Honoka recover.  However, Anju smirked when she looked down and saw that their hands were connected.

“Getting friendly already, huh?”  Anju said as she twirled a curl in her hair with her finger, giving Tsubasa and Honoka a coy look. 

“Ah!”  Honoka exclaimed as she noticed, then pulled her hand away from Tsubasa's.  Her cheeks were red, and she snuck a look at Tsubasa to see that she had a faint blush as well.  Honoka stared for a moment, captivated.

“Ahem,”  Erena cleared her throat, bringing Honoka back to her senses as she looked down at the ground in embarrassment. 

Tsubasa noticed and let out a soft laugh, then moved to sit down in a chair, seating herself between Erena and Anju.

“So, Kousaka-san.  What are you doing here?”  Tsubasa asked calmly, and Honoka finally looked up at the three of them. 

She knew it from the time they spent training together before the preliminaries, but they really did all look prettier in person.  Especially Tsubasa. 

Wait, she had to answer their question.  Wait...what WAS she doing here?  Her legs carried her to UTX on impulse after she was cheered on by the other µ's members, so she never really thought of the answer.  She tried to think about it a bit longer, but felt rushed when she noticed all of their gazes on her.

“Well, uhm, Tsubasa-chan-“

Erena started coughing, causing some of the coffee she was drinking to spill, while Anju brought her fingers to her own lips in a sort of ‘oh my’ expression.  Tsubasa was simply wide-eyed.

“Eh, did I say something weird?”  Honoka asked with a puzzled, lost expression as she tilted her head. 

Erena collected herself enough to ask a question.

“What did you just call her?”

“Her...?  You mean Tsubasa-chan?”  Honoka asked with innocence, not understanding the issue as Tsubasa blushed a bit and Anju giggled.

“You two are already that close?”  Erena asked simply, then Honoka finally realized it.

“Uhm, I didn’t mean-!”  Honoka quickly sputtered out, trying to fix her mistake, but Tsubasa stood up and smiled at Honoka.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.  Can I call you Honoka, then?” 

“Y-Yes...”  Honoka murmured, still a bit embarrassed by casually addressing Tsubasa.  Anju playfully rolled her eyes at the sight.

“Why are you acting cool in front of your idol?”  she asked mischievously and Tsubasa jumped a bit in surprise. 

Tsubasa slowly turned around with a worried expression to look at Anju, who was smiling sweetly. 

“Anju...?” Tsubasa questioned, but already had a vague idea of what Anju was going to do.

“Ah, I can’t wait to see µ's next show!"

"Oh, Kousaka-san was so cute in that dress!"

"Hey, do you think I could stop by Otonokizaka with a good enough disguise?”

Anju quoted lines from Tsubasa with a voice full of glee, imitating her actions as well as she said it. 

Tsubasa turned beet red and began to make panicked sounds, then quickly ran over to Anju, bringing her hands over her lips to stop her from blurting out even more. 

Honoka stared in amazement, not even sure if Anju was telling the truth or not, but by Tsubasa’s reaction it didn’t seem to be entirely false. 

'To think that Tsubasa admired µ's as much as µ's admired A-RISE...' Honoka thought to herself, guessing completely off-the-mark.

“Hey, I know!  While you’re both here, why don’t you go on a date?”  Anju quickly blurted out after she wriggled away from Tsubasa's grasp. 

Tsubasa was surprised, but glanced over at Honoka to monitor her reaction. 

“...what did you say?”  Honoka asked with a blank look, confident she had misheard Anju.

“A date!” Anju replied happily and carefree.

“One more time?” Honoka questioned once more.

“A date!  D.A.T.E,”  Anju spelled out, then giggled a bit at how unbelievable it was for Honoka. 

Honoka glanced over to Tsubasa, who despite having faint traces of a blush, nodded to say that she’d be fine with it.

“Ehh....?!"


	2. Sundae Special

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Anju's suggestion, Kousaka Honoka and Kira Tsubasa head out together to have some fun. Will they get closer? Will this develop into a simple friendship, or maybe something more..?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own 'Love Live!'
> 
> As I said in chapter 1, this is my first ever fanfiction written. Things may not be up to quality with some of the fanfictions I've seen on here that have inspired me, but I hope I can eventually become good enough to inspire others or have them feel the same emotions I felt when I read some of these stories.
> 
> Even getting a few people reading and leaving comments or following my work means the world to me, so thank you very much to the readers who have made it this far.
> 
> As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy the story.

The rest of µ's was getting tired of waiting outside UTX High School's gate, debating whether or not to just go home for the day, when Honoka and Tsubasa suddenly appeared, walking outside of the school building.

Nozomi had to stifle a laugh, and the rest of the group had a mixture of shock and amusement on their faces as they watched the pair leave, both with oversized black sunglasses on to disguise themselves.

"This is pretty great," Rin said with a smirk, Hanayo at her side taking pictures with her phone as she became excited over the sight.

"They're both idiots," Eli sighed, only to receive a light, playful chop on the head from Kotori in response.

"I know, right? Who do they think they're fooling?" Nico said with a haughty laugh before receiving a similar chop, this time from Umi.

"Nico..." Umi started to reprimand Nico, but Maki finished the sentence for her.

"You have no room to talk."

Nico was in shock for just a short moment, then cleared her throat as she recovered.

"Hmph, at least I do a better job than those two," Nico explained as she took off her surgical mask and sunglasses to show the difference.

"Oh, is that the world famous idol Nico?"

"Nico-chan, can you do your Nico-Nico-Nii please?!"

"Anything for my adorable fans."

Nico started to impersonate her imaginary fans without any embarrassment, even doing her signature move, completely lost in her own world. 

The rest of the group stared at her with exhaustion.

The group carried on the conversation a bit longer, laughing and enjoying themselves, but then Maki brought them back to reality.

"Aren't we forgetting something?"

.....

"HONOKA!" the group realized too late.

 

* * *

 

"Sorry you got stuck with this," Tsubasa apologized as the two walked, feeling a bit responsible for Anju's idea.

Honoka waved her hands in front of herself, dismissing the idea.

"Ah no, I'm actually pretty happy I'm getting the chance to talk to you like this," Honoka confessed as she gave her usual vibrant smile. The weird feeling during the practice for Love Live and in the classroom was gone, and she felt sincerely happy that she was walking side-by-side with Tsubasa.

Tsubasa smiled softly in response to Honoka's words, then looked straight ahead as they walked.  She still stole glances at Honoka when she wasn't looking though.

"So, you never really told us why you came to our school," Tsubasa said as she gave Honoka a curious gaze.

Honoka brought a finger to her chin as she thought of the answer, then blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Well, I just wanted to see you, I guess...?" Honoka trailed off as she wasn't even aware of the reason herself, and Tsubasa raised a brow and continued the conversation.

"See me?"

"Mhm. I don't really know why myself, it's just that...after the performance I couldn't stop thinking about you, and before I knew it, I was here," Honoka casually blurted out the embarrassing line.

Tsubasa suddenly went wide-eyed for a moment before grinning.

"Is that a confession?" Tsubasa asked teasingly as she moved closer to Honoka, their faces only a few inches apart.

"Eh!?" Honoka stumbled for words as her cheeks turned red, not entirely sure how to respond.

An image of her kissing Tsubasa suddenly appeared in her thoughts, and she fervently shook her head to get the thought out while Tsubasa giggled.

"Sorry, I was just joking," Tsubasa responded with a sly smile, enjoying Honoka's reactions. She didn't get to interact with her too much during the practice sessions at UTX, but she's seen all of the videos that µ's has released. Despite that, she's never seen this side of Honoka before.

What should she say, it's kind of...

Really cute.

"Come on, let's go in here," Tsubasa said quickly as she grabbed her partner's hand, causing a sound of surprise from Honoka as she was pulled into the nearby café.

...

Honoka let out a quiet sigh.

How did it come to this?

First, she was distracted all day during school and practice. Then, she suddenly ran to UTX, got teased by one A-RISE member, and now she was sitting across a table from A-RISE's leader with a sundae in front of each of them.

She sighed once more due to how unbelievable it was.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Tsubasa asked with a slight tilt of her head, smiling.

Honoka's eyes widened a bit as she realized she was lost in thought, then she quickly started to explain.

"Nothing, I'm just having a hard time believing that all of this is happening..." Honoka trailed off before suddenly feeling a slight pain on her right cheek, where Tsubasa was now lightly pinching.

"Owwww...Tsubasa-chan!" Honoka was able to complain despite the pinch making it difficult to talk, then Tsubasa finally let go of her and laughed softly.

"Believe it now?" Tsubasa asked happily with a wink.

Honoka blushed a bit, then nodded quickly.

"Mhm!" Honoka replied energetically.  She then looked down at their dissolving meals, her expression quickly turning to panic.

"Tsubasa-chan! Hurry!" she exclaimed as she quickly began to eat the sundae, while Tsubasa watched with a worried expression.

"Honoka, I wouldn't..." she started, but cut herself off as she slowly started on her own meal and waited for the inevitable.

…

…!

Honoka's spoon fell to the table as she brought her hands to her head in response to the brain freeze.

"Ow, ow, ow..." she murmured in pain while Tsubasa looked at her knowingly.

"There, there..." Tsubasa whispered softly as she reached out and caressed the top of Honoka's head, ruffling her hair a bit.

"This is why you take it slow," she explained, but was actually thankful it happened to create this situation.

Her hand slowly came down, resting on Honoka's cheek, and the two locked eyes for a moment as a blush formed on both of their faces.

"Hey…H-"

A middle aged woman seated nearby loudly cleared her throat, snapping the two out of the moment.

Honoka became embarrassed and looked down at the table, while Tsubasa clicked her tongue and snuck a glance at the woman, who was showing a wry grin back at her.

Satisfied that she ruined the moment of what appeared to be two lovebirds, the woman got up from her chair and left the café.

Honoka was the first to break the silence.

"It's getting pretty late, do you think we should head home for today?" she asked with a smile, a small trace of a blush still on her face.

Tsubasa was a bit sad that their first time actually alone together was going to end so quickly, but she understood.

"You're right, but let me walk you home at least," Tsubasa replied happily.

"Eh, you really don't have to-" Honoka immediately tried to deny it, but was cut off by Tsubasa.

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. Is that fine?" Tsubasa pushed the issue, wanting to extend today's date as long as possible.

She patiently watched Honoka's expression, and then Honoka finally smiled.

"Okay."

 

* * *

 

A certain bluenette could be heard panting, attempting to catch her breath as she sat down on a bench at the park.

Where could she be?  She didn't like not knowing what Honoka was doing with A-RISE's leader. Was she in trouble? Could something bad have happened? Oh when they all got back together Nico was going to-

"Umi-chan!" Umi looked up and glanced around the area after hearing her name, then noticed an energetic girl with light-brown hair running towards her.

"Kotori!" Umi ran towards Kotori, then stopped in front of her as Kotori brought her hands to her own knees and collected her breath.

"Did you find her?" Umi asked with a hopeful expression, but Kotori simply shook her head.

"You didn't?" Kotori asked as she finally stood up straight with one last sigh.

"No..."

The two girls looked disappointed, then both of their phones vibrated. With a glimpse of hope, Umi opened the group chat of µ's minus Honoka. It was made for them to be able to split up and communicate if anyone found her.

Sadly, it wasn't a message saying that they found her.

_Eli (6:34 P.M.): We should probably head back now._

_Nozomi (6:34 P.M.): Yup, it's getting late. Maybe we should head over to her house?_

_Maki (6:35 P.M.): No thanks, if she's not there then her mother would think something bad happened._

_Hanayo (6:36 P.M.) What if just Kotori-chan and Umi-chan went?_

Umi nodded at the suggestion to nobody in particular, then her fingers quickly tapped her phone.

_Umi (6:36 P.M.): Good idea, we'll head over now._

_Eli (6:37 P.M.): We're counting on you._

Umi put her phone back in her bag, then looked at Kotori with a smile.

"Shall we go?"

 

* * *

 

Honoka and Tsubasa stood in front of Homura Bakery, and Honoka started to drag Tsubasa inside by her hand.

"Like I said, at least let me give you some sweets to take home!" Honoka repeated insistently, then Tsubasa finally gave up with a satisfied sigh.

"Sure, sure," Tsubasa calmly said with a small smile, and Honoka smiled in response.

"I'm home!" Honoka announced as she stepped inside the house and took off her shoes, changing into her home slippers.

"Welcome back, Onee-ch-Tsubasa-san?!" Yukiho almost fainted at the sight.  She was a fervent viewer of A-RISE long before µ's formed, and was now face to face with one of her favorite idols.

Tsubasa winked and held a finger to her own lips with a 'shh' sound.

Yukiho brought her hands to her own mouth to stop herself, but was still wide-eyed and excited.

"Ah Yukiho, I forgot you already knew about Tsubasa-chan," Honoka said with an embarrassed laugh.

"Can you two talk while I get the snacks?" Honoka asked as she turned toward Tsubasa.

Tsubasa smiled softly.

"Sure, I don't mind. Yukiho-san, right? Come here," Tsubasa said as she waved Yukiho over, then Honoka walked toward the store portion of the building.

 

* * *

 Honoka hummed to herself as she gathered some sweets to put in a bag for Tsubasa.

Hm...maybe she would like this.  Ah, this is good too.

As she continued gathering sweets, her eyes drifted to a open box of Pocky left on the counter. She eyed it for a long moment, a very vivid image playing in her mind, before she finally blushed deeply and shook her head to get the thought out.

No no no no no! That wasn't what this was. She didn't think of Tsubasa that way.

…Right?

* * *

 

Honoka eventually came back out to the entrance of the building, then noticed Yukiho smiling brightly and Tsubasa writing something on a notepad.

The scene made Honoka relax from her previous thoughts, and she smiled as she approached them.

"Here, Tsubasa-chan!" she said happily as she held out the plastic bag filled with sweets.

"Thanks," Tsubasa replied and gratefully accepted the bag, then looked down to Yukiho.

"Well I really have to go now, but I hope you can keep cheering for us and µ's together, okay?"

Yukiho nodded happily, then Honoka and Tsubasa stepped back outside.

"Today was really fun!" Honoka showed a vibrant smile, and Tsubasa smiled back.

"Yes, it was.  We really should go out again some time," Tsubasa suggested as she stretched a bit, tired from the date that took place immediately after practice.

"Ah, but we have the preliminary finals coming up soon, so I don't know when-" Honoka started, but was cut off by Tsubasa.

"Honoka, can I see your phone for a second?"

"Huh? Well...okay," Honoka responded, confused, but then reached into her bag and handed her phone over to Tsubasa.

Tsubasa took the phone and quickly used it alongside her own, then smirked and handed Honoka's phone back to her.

"Now we have each other's contact info. The finals don't start that soon, so we should have some free time to play around once in a while, okay?" Tsubasa said with a wink, then turned around and started walking home.

"See you soon Honoka!" she called out as she waved her hand nonchalantly.

Honoka stared in amazement at her phone for a moment, then finally realized that Tsubasa was leaving.

"Ah, bye-bye Tsubasa-chan!" she said quickly as she waved back.

As soon as they were both out-of-sight of each other, they both brought their phones near their faces and navigated to their contacts list.

They stared at the new entry in their lists, then smiled.

"Tsubasa-chan..."

"Honoka..."

They both whispered the names to themselves, and Honoka went back inside the store while Tsubasa walked back home, holding her phone against her chest excitedly.

* * *

Kotori and Umi came out of hiding, shocked at what they just witnessed.

"Umi-chan..."

"Kotori..."

Without any more words, they both pulled out their phones and navigated to the group chat that didn't have Honoka in it.

_Umi (7:11 P.M.): We have a bigger problem._

_Kotori (7:11 P.M.): Honoka-chan is fine, but.._

 

* * *

Honoka finished watching the video for 'Shocking Party' for the 10th time in a row, then finally decided to sleep.

She smiled to herself as she fell asleep, then started dreaming about a certain someone.

* * *

Tsubasa yawned as she closed the lid on her laptop, having finally finished watching all of the µ's videos released so far.

As she climbed into her bed, her thoughts naturally drifted to the unofficial date that ended not that long ago.

"Honoka, hm..." she murmured to herself, then smiled softly.

What an interesting girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, if you've made it all the way to the end, I want to thank you. Writing this chapter was pretty nerve-wracking to me honestly, as I wanted to meet the standard amount of words as my first chapter, but I didn't want to make the date boring. Combine this with the fact that this is my first fanfiction ever, and I'm a bit worried.
> 
> Constructive criticism is always welcome if anyone wants to help me out, as I'm well aware my inexperience may show. 
> 
> Thank you again to anyone who has read this chapter all the way through, and a special thank you to those who will continue to support me as this story progresses. I hope I'm able to write a story that can hold your attention and satisfy you.


	3. Intervention

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

_They sat on the bed together, Tsubasa holding Honoka’s shoulders and staring directly into her eyes.  Honoka’s voice was caught in her throat.  She couldn’t say anything, or maybe didn’t want to, as she was gently shoved down on the bed.  She now stared up at Tsubasa, who was straddled on top of her._

_“Honoka..”_

_“Tsubasa-chan.."_

_Tsuabsa leaned down as she gradually lowered herself down on top of Honoka, their lips only an inch apart from each other now._

_Honoka was scared, but slowly closed her eyes.._

* * *

 

Yukiho heard a loud sound from upstairs, immediately accompanied by her sister’s yelling.  She rushed upstairs, ready for anything as she quickly opened the sliding door to her sister’s room.

“Onee-ch-!”

Yukiho immediately calmed down at the sight, now feeling a little stupid for being so worried.

Honoka was sprawled across the floor, her bed covers still tangled with her body. Yukiho could’ve sworn she saw stars circling above Honoka’s head.

“Ow..”  Honoka murmured, then casually looked up to her room’s entrance, seeing Yukiho. 

She tilted her head, confused at Yukiho’s expression.

“Huh?  What are you doing in here Yukiho?”

“You just woke up Onee-chan?  You’re going to be late,”  Yukiho said with a sigh, then closed the door behind her as she left the room.

“Eh!?”

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, in the ‘Honoka’s Issue’ group chat..

_Umi (8:19 A.M.): We’re really doing this?_

_Nozomi (8:20 A.M.): Why not?  It sounds fun._

_Eli (8:20 A.M.): Nozomi, I can’t help but feel like you have some kind of ulterior motive.._

_Nozomi (8:21 A.M.): Hm?  What’d you say Elicchi?_

_Maki (8:22 A.M.): We’re talking over text, you can’t mishear her._

_Umi (8:23 A.M.): Anyway, let’s not go too overboard with this.  We just want to know._

Umi put away her phone, then looked over to Kotori who was walking alongside her.

“Honoka-chan won’t get mad, right?”  Kotori smiled with just a bit of nervousness.

“It’ll be fine, plus…she deserves a little teasing herself for once,”  Umi responded with a smile, then patted Kotori’s head.

“Don’t worry about it.”

 

* * *

 

Honoka suddenly recalled the dream she had in the middle of her run to Otonokizaka, and was embarrassed to death.

Why did she have a dream like that?  And what was with that dream anyway?!  She tried to get the thoughts out of her head, but it wasn’t working.

“Hey, it’s Tsubasa-san.”  Honoka heard it and immediately turned red, then quickly turned her head to find Tsubasa before her eyes rested on Umi and Kotori.  She quickly jogged over.

“Huh?  Where is she?”  Honoka asked excitedly with a hint of impatience in her voice, causing the pair to smile.

“Ah, Honoka.  Where is who?”  Umi responded nonchalantly. 

“I thought someone saw Tsubasa-chan?”

Kotori held up her phone to show a video of an A-RISE interview.

“Oh, we were just watching this.  Did you want to see it Honoka-chan?” Kotori asked innocently with a bright smile.

“Ah..” Honoka muttered quietly, then quickly smiled back at the pair.

“No, I just thought A-RISE was at our school for a second!  Guess I’m still a little sleepy!”  Honoka laughed softly, a little disappointed in herself for getting excited so easily.

The three shrugged it off and continued their walk to school, but Kotori managed to send a message to the group while Honoka wasn’t looking.

 

* * *

 

A little while later..

After classes ended for the day, Honoka walked happily to the clubroom. She decided to peek inside before opening the door, but what she saw shocked her.

It was Tsubasa.

She quickly opened the door and ran over, but now that she was this close she realized that it was actually a life-sized cutout.

“Huh?  What’s this..?”  Honoka asked herself as she started to poke it, before a certain twin-tailed girl called out to her and made her jump.

“That’s mine, I just thought to bring it over to the clubroom is all.  Surprised?”  Nico asked with a sly grin, but her attention turned to the slack-jawed expressions of the other 7 µ's members. 

“Nico..” Maki groaned in a mix of astonishment and bewilderment.

“Why do you have this?”  Eli asked with an intense stare that made Nico gulp.

“Well you know… idol inspiration?”  Nico blurted out with a wink, trying to appear cutesy.

“Confiscated,”  Eli grabbed the cutout much to Nico’s horror, and Nico leapt forward and wrapped her arms around Eli’s legs, stopping her from taking off with one of the most prized possessions in the Nico-Nico-Nii household.

“No way no way no way!!” Nico pleaded in a hectic manner, then they all laughed at how silly it was.

 

* * *

 

These instances of bringing up Tsubasa and causing Honoka to jump or carefully listen to the conversations kept occurring all throughout practice, and by the end of it Honoka was exhausted.

Honoka sat down, her back against the roof’s railings as practice was finally over.  Their dance moves were becoming more polished and certain, but it still wasn’t at the level where they could beat A-RISE in the preliminary finals.  As Honoka started to talk with Kotori and Umi, Nozomi suddenly crouched down in front of the three.

“So you’re close with Kira Tsubasa, Honoka-chan?”  Nozomi asked playfully, which almost caused a spit-take from Eli.

“You’re not supposed to just bring it up!”  Eli said quickly, then sighed as Nozomi showed a grin.

“Huh?  How did you-“ Honoka started, but was quickly cut off by Umi who explained.

“Well, someone saw you two in the city together, so..”

“We were wondering what kind of relationship you had with her!” Hanayo completed the sentence for Umi, but seemed much more passionate about this relationship than anyone else, which earned a worried smile from Rin.

Honoka thought about it for a moment, realizing this could have another effect on their practice if she blew it out of proportion. 

This group joined her and has been working with her through everything, even her selfish times, so she didn't want to worry them anymore.

“Tsubasa-chan’s a dear friend to me, just like all of you are,”  Honoka responded confidently, and the rest of µ's members relaxed, while Maki made a gesture as if to say ‘told you so.’

“Does this have something to do with yesterday?”  Nico asked seriously, but Honoka just shook her head in response.

“I realized the problem, and it’s done now, so thanks again for yesterday everyone!”  Honoka bowed and the whole group smiled, save for one.

Eli stepped forward and looked into Honoka’s eyes for a moment, then asked the question.

“This won’t affect Love Live, will it?”

The other 7 members of µ's waited with bated breath, but Honoka quickly answered without hesitation.

“This is something we’ve all worked so hard for.  We practice almost every day, work on our own to make µ's shine brighter, and you’ve all supported me this whole time.  I do respect A-RISE and Tsubasa-chan a lot, but...I realize that that and Love Live are two very different things.  I...won't mess up like the last time.  I'll do my best so that we can win!" she said convincingly with a smile, and the rest of them stared in amazement.

“Then we approve of it,”  Eli said with a smile as Nozomi gave a thumbs up to Honoka.

“Eh?  Approve of what?” Honoka asked with confusion, but nobody else would let her in on the secret.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile at UTX High School, after A-RISE’s practice session, the trio were seated in the school’s coffee house.  Erena and Tsubasa were sat next to each other scanning the laptop for any news related to the Love Live preliminary finals, while Anju was lying down on a different couch, looking at her phone.

“So?  How far did you go?”  Anju asked nonchalantly without even glancing at Tsubasa, who jumped a bit in surprise.

“Far?  What do you mean far?!”  Tsubasa asked in a panic, and Erena just smirked as she listened to the conversation.

“Ah come on, we’re not in middle school anymore, you know what I mean,”  Anju started to play with her hair as she glanced over to Tsubasa.

“How far?”

“We’re not like that, you know,”  Tsubasa calmly explained, her eyes moving back to the laptop as Erena kept browsing for any news.

“Well, do you want to be like that?”  Anju asked with a raised brow.

“Kousaka-san isn’t like that, and we’ve got Love Live to-“

“Tsubasa,”  Erena cut her off as she glanced towards her for a moment, knowing Tsubasa’s behavior well enough by now. 

Tsubasa could only sigh in response.

“I do want to be like that.”

 

* * *

 

Honoka was walking alone to Homura Bakery after splitting up with everyone, trying to find the answer that the rest of µ's wouldn’t tell her.  After Eli said what Honoka thought was a cryptic line, she tried to ask her what she meant. Eli wouldn’t budge however, simply shrugging and saying ‘you’ll find out soon enough.’

She also tried to ask the other members of µ's if they knew what Eli meant, but they refused to answer, and seemed to be having a good time watching Honoka as she tried to figure it out.  She pouted a bit as she was the only one left out of the loop. 

Still thinking about it, she felt her phone vibrate. She pulled it out to check it, wondering who it could be at this time.

_Tsubasa (5:24 P.M.): Done with practice yet?_

There it is.  Her very first message from Tsubasa-chan.  She stared at the message for a few moments before realizing that she should text back.  Excited, her fingers tapped the phone.

_Honoka (5:25 P.M.): Yeah, they’re getting tougher than usual but we’re hanging in there! ^.^  Are you done with your practice?_

 

* * *

 

Tsubasa smiled at the message she received as she walked home.  After Anju and Erena basically forced her to admit her feelings, they had a talk about everything.  About Honoka, Love Live, and what this meant for A-RISE and µ's. Most importantly, what to do about those feelings.

With Honoka, it was hard to tell what exactly she was feeling, and Tsubasa herself didn’t know if she fully understood her own feelings.  That’s why she wanted to test the waters. 

Resolved, she messaged back.

 

* * *

 

_Tsubasa (5:28 P.M.): We finished a little while ago, but I wasn’t sure when you’d be finished, and I didn’t want to interrupt._

_Honoka (5:29 P.M.): We’re usually done by 5, but Eli-chan was talking about making them longer soon because of Love Live._

_Tsubasa (5:29 P.M.): Poor thing._

_Honoka (5:30 P.M.): HEY!  You guys have to practice extra hard too!  Didn’t you tell us that you'd win?_

_Tsubasa (5:30 P.M.): I’m joking, Erena was actually saying the same thing.  So we might want to hang out while we still can._

_Honoka (5:31 P.M.): You still want to hswq_

_Tsubasa (5:32 P.M.): Honoka?_

Honoka started to rub her temple after she walked headfirst into a telephone pole, too enthralled in her conversation with Tsubasa.  She didn’t know she accidentally sent her half-written text either. 

She laughed to herself, then realized that she was finally at her home.

She walked in, greeted her younger sister and mother, then walked upstairs to her room.  She changed into something more casual, just an orange t-shirt with white shorts, then laid on her bed as she reached for her phone.

She was surprised however when she saw the chat.

_Tsubasa (5:33 P.M.): Honoka?  What happened?_

_Tsubasa (5:34 P.M.): Are you okay?_

_Tsubasa (5:35 P.M.): Should I come over?_

_Tsubasa (5:39 P.M.): I’m coming over._

Honoka panicked when she saw the last line and immediately looked at her phone’s clock, relieved to see it was only 5:40.  She immediately replied.

_Honoka (5:40 P.M.): Sorry!  I accidentally fell, I’m totally okay! :D_

* * *

 

Tsubasa stopped in her tracks as she felt her phone vibrate, then immediately took it out to read it.  She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the message, then smirked softly.

“That girl..”  she whispered to herself, then headed back inside her house feeling a bit happier than before.

 

* * *

 

_Honoka (5:41 P.M.): You’re not already on your way here, right?_

_Honoka (5:41 P.M.): Was I too late? :o_

_Honoka (5:42 P.M.): Well, we do have leftover sweets.._

_Tsubasa (5:42 P.M.): I almost ran over, don’t scare me like that._

_Honoka (5:43 P.M.): I’m sorry.. :’(_

They both smiled at their phones.

Honoka started to happily hum to herself as she read the messages over again, but suddenly another one came through. 

_Tsubasa (5:45 P.M.): Do you have any plans this Sunday?_

Honoka tilted her head a bit in confusion, but quickly replied.

_Honoka (5:45 P.M.): No, why?_

Just then, Honoka’s phone started to play her ringtone. She was caught off guard and almost dropped her phone, having to juggle it a bit to catch it again. 

She looked at the phone and noticed an important someone’s name, then immediately answered.

“Hello?”

“Then let’s have a date!”  An energetic voice came through the phone’s speaker and surprised Honoka for a moment, but she laughed.

“Sure!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone,
> 
> This chapter may be a bit boring to some, but I wanted to further establish how the friendship groups worked in this series, and wanted to make things a bit more clear about how Honoka and Tsubasa felt about each other at this time.
> 
> As always, thank you to everyone who continues to read these chapters as I put them out, I greatly appreciate every single one of you. Seeing the numbers on my story go up even a little encourage me to go on with the story.
> 
> Look out for next chapter!


	4. Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

After they had made their plans, the remaining days of the week went by in a flash.  Honoka and Tsubasa both received light teasing when it was discovered that the two would be going out Sunday, but the day came without any troubles.

Honoka stood at the meeting spot by the café that the two visited on their first time out.  She was in simple casual clothes, checking her phone to see Tsubasa’s last message stating she was on the way now.

Honoka started to shift around a bit, becoming somewhat impatient.  It’s not that Tsubasa was late, but Honoka was thinking about this date all day yesterday and today and now she’s overly excited.

Maybe Tsubasa was just as excited for today as she was?  No, that couldn’t be.  Tsubasa was kind of famous around here, so maybe this is the same thing to her as a fan meetup?  Ah, but what if-

“Honoka!”  A smooth voice called out towards Honoka’s direction, snapping her out of her thoughts.  She turned to look at the source of the voice, then saw Tsubasa in her casual outfit walking towards her. 

Come to think of it, this was the first time that Honoka had seen Tsubasa not in an A-RISE outfit or her school uniform. 

“C-Cute..”  Honoka muttered under her breath, a tint of red appearing on her cheeks as she took in the sight.

“Hm?  What’d you say?”  Tsubasa smiled as she wanted to make sure what she heard was right, but Honoka shook her head.

“Nothing!  I’m just glad we can meet like this,”  Honoka covered up, feeling thankful that Tsubasa didn’t overhear her.

Tsubasa relaxed a little after seeing Honoka flustered, then looked to the time on her phone.

“Well, shall we go?”

“Yeah!”  Honoka energetically replied and started to walk, but turned back to look at Tsubasa who was standing still.

“Tsubasa-chan?”

“For the record, I think you look pretty cute as well,”  Tsubasa winked and gave a playful smile, and Honoka looked shocked as her face immediately turned red.

“Wha-?!  You heard that?!”

“Let’s go,”  Tsubasa said with a soft laugh, then walked up to Honoka and grabbed her hand. 

Honoka was stunned for a moment as she stared at their hands joined together, but then smiled happily.

“Sure!”

 

* * *

 

Nico was dressed in her usual disguise with the surgeon’s mask and oversized sunglasses, looking on at the lovey-dovey scene with a mixture of embarrassment and jealousy.

“Idols aren’t supposed to be in relationships..and she’s with A-RISE’s leader too!”  Nico pouted, then pulled out her phone to talk about it with the other μ's members.

However, it was suddenly grabbed away by someone.

“Who-!”  Nico responded with surprise as she turned around to meet her stalker, but instead stared wide-eyed as she recognized a certain playful redhead.

“We shouldn’t interrupt their date, you know~”  Anju said with a carefree tone, then placed Nico’s phone back in her hands with a smile.

“YUUKI A-“ Nico started to shout in surprise, but Anju’s finger to her lips stopped her as Anju made a ‘shh’ sound.

“We don’t want them to know we’re spying on them, right?”

“Spying?!  Why would I spy on Honoka?!”  Nico defended herself due to embarrassment, but eventually relented as Anju gave her a pitying look.

“Hmm~?  Where’d they go?”  Anju asked as she slowly looked around the area, which caused Nico to quickly jump up and look around as well, but she let out a sigh when she realized that she lost them.

“This is all your fault,”  Nico groaned as she missed out on her chance to watch their date, causing Anju to smile again.

‘Now you can freely have fun,’  Anju thought to herself, then gave a thumbs up to no one in particular as she started to walk home.

 

* * *

 

The pair entered a nearby mall, Honoka still being dragged along by hand by Tsubasa.  It was embarrassing being seen walking like this, but she didn’t dislike the feeling. 

Tsubasa was like an overexcited child as she dragged Honoka into multiple stores, looking at accessories and other miscellaneous things.  Soon enough, they entered a women’s clothing shop, and Tsubasa let go of Honoka’s hand to look at all of the different clothes on the racks.

Honoka stared at her empty hand for a moment as the warm feeling that was there was now suddenly gone, but was brought back to her senses by Tsubasa.

“Hey Honoka, why not try this on?”  Tsubasa held out an outfit towards Honoka, who could only look at it with worry and embarrassment as her eyes drifted back and forth from the outfit to Tsubasa’s grin.

“Well uhm…something like that doesn’t really seem like-“  Honoka tried to explain, but was cut off by Tsubasa as she basically forced the outfit into her hands.

“It’s fine, it’s fine!”  Tsubasa assured her as she moved behind Honoka, then playfully started to shove her towards the dressing booth. 

“H-Hey!  Tsubasa-chan, wait!  Ahh..”  Honoka tried to fight it, but eventually resigned herself to her fate as she couldn't resist the eager look in Tsubasa’s eyes. 

“Alright!  Fine, just give me a minute!”  she caved in, embarrassed as she stepped into the booth after looking at Tsubasa’s playful smirk one last time.

Honoka let out a sigh as she calmed down, but her eyes wandered down to the outfit and she subconsciously swallowed due to nervousness.

Agreeing to it is one thing, but actually putting it on is..

…

…

Five minutes later Honoka was still in the booth, and Tsubasa let out a sigh.

“You have to be done by now,”  Tsubasa said with impatience as she turned around to face the booth, then slowly started to reach her hand out towards the curtain with a not so pure motive in mind.

“Sorry, just a bit longer!”  Honoka quickly replied as she looked at herself in the mirror, a deep blush on her cheeks. 

No way. 

At the time, she didn’t really completely understand Umi when she said that she didn’t want to go on stage for their early performances. However, now that she was wearing something that she personally thought was embarrassing, it was a different story.  Tsubasa couldn't see her like-

The sound of the curtains being pulled to the side caused Honoka to immediately turn around in surprise, and she now stood in front of Tsubasa, who was staring back at her with wide eyes.

“T-Tsubasa-chan?!  Uhm, this is…”  Honoka started to stammer with embarrassment, but Tsubasa didn't say a word.

Suddenly Tsubasa pulled the curtains back to how they were, separating the two of them once more as Honoka went into shock.

“Ehh?!  Was it that bad?!  Hey, Tsubasa-chan?!”  Honoka asked with surprise, her internal Idol Confidence Meter going down in points.

Meanwhile, for Tsubasa…

She sat on the ground, her back to a wall as Honoka’s figure was burned into her mind.  The skin-tight dress, the opening near the chest that showed cleavage, how short the dress ended..

Usually when she thought of Honoka, the words cutesy, energetic, or vibrant came to mind. Now there were a few more words she could add to that list..

More importantly, she realized something for herself after seeing Honoka like that.

She didn’t want anyone else to see Honoka wearing something that risqué.

 

* * *

 

After that, Tsubasa had to meekly apologize to Honoka for making her wear something like that, and for also barging in on her.

The two continued their date afterwards, going window shopping and even checking out some of the school-idol centered stores. 

“Hey Honoka, can I-?”

“No way!”

Tsubasa’s dream to buy merchandise of Honoka was quickly shot down before it could even begin.  However, Tsubasa managed to make a mental note to herself to visit the shop again some other day.

As they continued walking, they eventually stumbled upon a picture booth.  In the age of smartphones, they weren’t used as often, but they still possessed a certain charm. 

Honoka was about to pass right by it, but Tsubasa quickly grabbed her hand and dragged her into the booth with her as Honoka let out sounds of surprise.

“This kind of thing can be fun once in a while, right?”  Tsubasa smiled, then Honoka stared at her in awe for a moment before she quickly agreed.

“Mhm!  Ah, I haven’t done this in a long time though..”

“Just leave it to me then,”  Tsubasa responded confidently as her hand moved quickly on the panel, sorting through different picture frames and decorations. 

Honoka watched her, then smiled brightly when she saw how much fun Tsubasa was having with it. 

Before she knew it, she was leaning down a bit and checking out the different selections as Tsubasa scrolled through them. 

“What about this?”  Tsubasa asked as she turned her head to look at Honoka, then widened her eyes in surprise when she saw how close they were to each other. 

Honoka looked into Tsubasa’s eyes after she was called, captivated by them for a moment before she brought her gaze back to the panel as a blush formed on her face. 

“Yeah!  This looks really cute, we could even combine it with this,”  Honoka explained as she started to mess with the panel herself, but Tsubasa’s eyes were still locked onto Honoka’s face.

Her focus drifted down to Honoka’s lips, then she started to slowly lean closer towards them…

Just a little bit more..

...

She stopped herself however.

Not yet.  Doing it now would just be terrible. 

Tsubasa calmed her fluttering heart down, then quickly went back to happily picking out the photo details with Honoka.

 

* * *

 

Soon enough they both had copies of the photos, and Honoka was happily holding them to her chest while she hummed with joy.

Tsubasa clenched her fists with nervousness.

They haven’t known each other that long.

She should wait until after the preliminary finals.

Doing this right now would only trouble Honoka.

Against all these thoughts, Tsubasa finally called towards one of her dreams.

“Honoka, I need to tell you something important.”

Surprised at the sudden seriousness in Tsubasa’s voice, Honoka looked towards her and was met with an intense gaze. 

Seeing Tsubasa so serious forced her to calm down, and even though she didn't have any idea what Tsubasa would want to bring up now, she readied her heart for anything.

Tsubasa summoned her courage for her first confession.

“I like you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the shorter chapter this time around. Though I liked chapter 3 as a whole, I wasn't totally satisfied with the amount of progress made in it, so I wanted to rectify it as soon as possible. 
> 
> As always, I appreciate the support and attention this story is receiving. For my first piece of work ever, I'm feeling satisfied with it so far. I know I may not compare in terms of quality to those who have been doing this type of thing for a long time, but I thoroughly enjoyed the stories by some of the authors here, so I was inspired to create my own work. If even one person enjoys my story, that'd be enough for me.
> 
> Anyway, enough with my blogpost, thank you to anyone who has made it this far and has read each chapter up to this point. You have no idea how happy your continued support makes me.


	5. Difficult

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

“I like you.”

Honoka stared into Tsubasa’s eyes as the words played in her head over and over.

“H-Huh?  What did you say..?”  Honoka asked as her chest tightened.  She didn’t believe that this was real.

It was her first time ever receiving a confession from someone.  On top of that, it was from the leader of A-RISE.  The cute, cool, confident leader of μ's rival group.

She’s really happy whenever she’s together with Tsubasa.  When she’s not practicing or having fun with μ's, her thoughts always naturally drifted to Tsubasa.  She feels warm whenever she’s near her, and can’t help but smile when they look at each other. 

However…could those feelings really be called love?  She’d never experienced it, so she couldn't really be sure.

“I like you,”  Tsubasa repeated it as Honoka asked, and continued to stare into her eyes.

Those words made Honoka’s chest tighten more every time she heard them.  She shifted her gaze down from Tsubasa’s eyes and managed to see her hands shaking ever so slightly.  She needed to respond appropriately.  Tsubasa was facing her even though it was difficult for her, so she needed to do the same.

And yet..

“Sorry, I don’t think I heard you right..”  Honoka murmured, then winced when she saw Tsubasa’s hands go from clenched fists to being relaxed, as if she lost her energy.

Honoka couldn't understand why the sight made her heart drop. She didn't understand what these feelings were. Why she felt extremely happy whenever Tsubasa was, or why she felt pain when Tsubasa looked sad now.  She didn't understand why her heart flutters when she hears her voice or why her chest felt so constrained right now.

This wasn't like her.  She knew that what she was doing was unfair to Tsubasa.

She just didn't know how to react.

Honoka moved her gaze from Tsubasa’s hands to the floor as tears started to form in the corners of her eyes.  Why..

A sudden, light chop to her head made her instinctively look up though.  When she did, she saw Tsubasa a foot away from her with a natural smile on her face.

“I like you,”  she said for the third time, then softly chopped Honoka’s head a few more times as she added the words each time.

“I like you.  I like you.  I like you,”  Tsubasa continued saying the phrase without a trace of doubt.

_I’ve really picked a difficult person to like..’_ she thought to herself as she brought her hand to Honoka’s cheek, then used the other to wipe away the tears that were forming in Honoka’s eyes.

“I’m the one confessing, so why are you the one crying?  Jeez, how many times are you going to make me say it?”  Tsubasa laughed softly and brought her hand that was on Honoka’s cheek to the top of her head, then lightly ruffled her hair as her smile became warmer.

Honoka couldn't explain these difficult feelings.  The words she wanted to say were caught in her throat, and the feeling of Tsubasa comforting her even though she was the one having the most trouble right now made her emotions overflow. 

She started to cry without knowing why.  The sudden flow of tears from her made Tsubasa panic for a short moment, but she pulled Honoka into an embrace.

Honoka continued to cry into Tsubasa’s shoulder, then clutched her back as Tsubasa simply caressed the top of Honoka’s head, then used her other hand to gently hold onto her back. 

…

“Look, you don’t have to answer me right away,”  Tsubasa assured her after she finished crying, then the two separated from their embrace as Tsubasa held onto Honoka’s shoulders for a moment.

“It’s my fault for suddenly confessing out of nowhere like that,”  Tsubasa explained with another smile.

_'That’s not true,'_   Honoka thought to herself, unable to say the words aloud.

“Plus we both have Love Live to worry about, so doing this now isn’t really the right timing.”

_'That doesn’t matter.  It’s not important.'_

“Hey, I think we should call off the rest of the date, okay?”  Tsubasa continued to say these words, but Honoka could hear her voice as it shook ever so slightly.

_'Back when_ _μ_ _'s had its first concert with just Umi-chan and Kotori-chan and nobody showed up, she was able to swallow her sadness and be brave, so why not now?!'_

“I’ll message you later, okay?”  Tsubasa smiled one last time despite the fact that it was forced, then turned and started to walk away. 

She stopped for a moment to glance at Honoka, then simply waved as if nothing was wrong before she continued walking.

_'Please wait!'_

 

* * *

 

Tsubasa continued walking through the park as she thought back to the conversation that happened just a few minutes ago.

She was the one who had to deal with the rejection, so why did Honoka show such a sad face?  Why was she crying?

It’s true that confessing during the time before the preliminary finals wouldn't be the best timing, but she didn’t say those things as real reasons. 

She just wanted Honoka to stop crying.  Because..

As she started to feel her chest tighten, something prevented it.

“TSUBASA-CHAN!!”

She turned around to see a certain ginger-haired girl running right at her.

 

* * *

 

The force was enough to send the both of them toppling over.  Before Tsubasa could even start to feel the pain of the fall, she was forced to look up at the bright girl straddled on top of her.

“Tsubasa-chan!”  Honoka repeated with fervor as she grabbed onto Tsubasa’s hands, holding them down on the grass above Tsubasa’s head.

“I’m sorry for earlier, but please listen to me!”  Tears began forming in Honoka’s eyes once more as she said it, but Tsubasa simply smiled.

‘ _Ah, such a crybaby.._ ’  she thought to herself as she looked at the figure of the girl who had always seemed strong and vibrant but had a surprisingly weak side. 

She readied her heart for the words that she thought Honoka was going to say.

“I like you!” 

Tsubasa widened her eyes in surprise as Honoka continued.

“I really like you!  I really like you, Tsubasa-chan!”

Tsubasa smiled softly.

“I’ve never liked someone like this before!  When you said you liked me, I was really happy!  I promise!”

Honoka changed her hold on Tsubasa from grabbing her hands, to interlocking their fingers.

“But I was scared.  I was scared of losing what we had.  I was too afraid to admit my own feelings.  I’m so sorry for making you say all of that for my sake, Tsubasa-chan!”

Tsubasa was so happy.  Seeing Honoka crying as she said all this made her want to wipe the tears away, but Honoka’s hold on her wouldn't allow her.

Honoka finally showed a smile.

“I’m sorry for putting you through all that..”  Honoka apologized for the last time, then resolved herself.

“So if you don’t like me anymore after all that, it’s fine!  I’ll work hard!  I’ll do whatever I can to make you like me again!  I don’t want to make any more mistakes.”

“So please Tsubasa-chan, let me love you!”  Honoka was breathing heavily after getting it all out.  She had ran all the way to where Tsubasa was and yelled her heart out in this empty park.  As she tried to collect herself, her hold became a bit weaker.

Tsubasa didn’t let the opportunity slip by.

She quickly leaned her body up and used the hold on Honoka’s hands to push her down, their positions now switched.  Honoka gasped at the sudden movement but was struck silent as she looked at Tsubasa’s serious expression looking down at her.

Tsubasa removed her right hand from Honoka’s, then quickly brought it to her face instead.

She was delicate as she wiped the tears away from Honoka’s eyes, then she brought her hand back to Honoka's and intertwined their fingers once more.

“I’ve been wanting to do that this whole time, you know?”  Tsubasa laughed quietly, then readied herself as she needed to say her piece now.

“You’re right Honoka.  I was hurt.”  The words made Honoka wince, but as Tsubasa saw that reaction, she confidently shook her head, as if telling her to wait.

“I was hurt.  Part of it was your response, yes.  That’s not all though.”

Tsubasa breathed in as she collected herself.

“I thought I was taking things too fast.  I was worried I ruined our friendship.  Seeing you cry after I confessed hurt me even more.” 

Honoka started to tear up again, but Tsubasa quickly wiped them with a soft sigh before they could even start.

“Jeez, let me finish talking first,”  Tsubasa said warmly as she locked their fingers once more.

“But you don’t have to try to make me like you again.  I knew you’d be a difficult girl to fall in love with when I first saw you in person, and during our practice at UTX.”

Tsubasa leaned in close to Honoka’s face.

“Instead of working hard on making me like you, let’s work hard on our relationship, okay?  I love you too,”  she stared into Honoka’s eyes as she confessed once more, and was surprised when she saw tears coming once again.

“Again?  You really-“  Tsubasa didn’t get a chance to wipe the tears away this time, as Honoka quickly leaned in and cut off Tsubasa’s words.

Tsubasa went wide-eyed as she was kissed by the leader of μ's.

She was shocked for a long moment as Honoka’s lips touched hers passionately, but she eventually relaxed herself, lowing her body on top of Honoka’s and returning the favor. 

After a while they had to break apart for air. They stared at each other as they let out quick breaths, both of their cheeks scarlet.

“Tsubasa-chan, I-“  Honoka tried to say, but was cut off by Tsubasa this time as their lips locked once more. 

Honoka gripped the neck of Tsubasa’s shirt as they kissed, and Tsubasa reached their interlocked hands further past Honoka’s head as they got closer to each other.

Lost in the moment, Tsubasa moved her tongue into the kiss, but Honoka went wide-eyed and broke the kiss as she blushed deeply. 

The two stared at each other again for a long moment, then they both giggled in embarrassment.

They decided to stop things there as they got off each other, and they both showed embarrassed smiles.

After they finally took their eyes off of each other, they both looked down to their clothes, now disheveled and covered with grass.

They laughed again as they brushed themselves off and fixed their clothes.

…

..

They held each other’s hand as they walked toward Homura Bakery, deciding to stop the date there as they were both mentally exhausted, and it was getting late. 

As they reached the entrance to the sweets shop, neither one of them wanted to let go of the other, but they didn’t want to reveal their relationship to Honoka’s parents just yet, so they reluctantly separated. 

Honoka showed a sheepish smile while Tsubasa gave her a wink.

“Here, let me grab some snacks again,”  Honoka said happily as she stepped towards the entrance as Tsubasa raised a brow.

“You know I’ll just have to practice even harder for Love Live to burn all that off, right?”  Tsubasa warned with a grin, but Honoka just laughed quietly.

“It’s fine, because μ's will be working just as hard!  We need to both try our best, right?”  Honoka energetically replied as she opened the entrance to the store and joyfully walked inside. 

 

* * *

 Honoka was almost floating as she went from shelf to shelf as she picked out sweets for Tsubasa to take home, trying to pick what she considered the best ones. 

As she thought back to what happened earlier, Honoka couldn’t help but smile brightly. 

Even though she caused trouble for her, Tsubasa accepted it all. 

Even though she couldn’t give a reply at first and made things worse, Tsubasa still forgave her.

Honoka giggled quietly to herself as she finished bagging the sweets and headed back towards Tsubasa.

* * *

 

When she came back she saw her mother talking to Tsubasa, the both of them having a natural conversation.  She walked up to them.

“Mom, you know Tsubasa-chan?” 

Her mother turned around towards her voice.

“Oh, Honoka!  Well, your father and I have been reading all about school idols ever since you started, so we eventually read up on A-RISE too,”  Her mother responded with a smile, then looked back to Tsubasa.

“Since it’s getting late, why don’t you just stay over for the night?”  she asked a question that almost caused Honoka to explode behind her.  Tsubasa could see it, so she had to stifle a laugh as she looked up to Honoka’s mother.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to be intruding-“

“Really, it’s not a big deal!  As long as your parents are fine with it, you’re free to stay here for tonight,”  Her mother assured, and Tsubasa just smiled while she snuck a glance at Honoka. 

“Alright, I’ll ask.” 

Honoka almost fainted when she heard the words.

…

..

How did it come to this?

Tsubasa and Honoka were lying on Honoka’s bed on their sides, facing each other.

Tsubasa grinned happily, while Honoka was worried that her face was going to permanently turn red from all the blushing. 

“Honoka, I-“

“W-W-We need to be married first!”  Honoka blurted out, then quickly covered her mouth with her hands as her eyes widened.  Tsubasa was stunned for a second, then laughed happily.

“What’s with that?  I was just going to tell you I love you,”  Tsubasa reached her hands out, then moved Honoka's hands, not allowing her to hide her face.

Hearing Tsubasa’s voice was enough to calm Honoka down, then she laughed as well.

“I love you too," she said quickly, then they shared a long kiss before falling asleep in each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone,
> 
> This chapter was the hardest one for me to write out of the five I've released so far. The reason I left last chapter on a cliffhanger was due to what I wanted to do after Tsubasa's first confession. Trying to put all of that into one chapter and quickly releasing it after chapter three wasn't possible, and I wanted something with progress after chapter three as soon as possible. 
> 
> My visions for this chapter was to have Honoka finally understand her own feelings. From chapters three and four, we knew Tsubasa's feelings on the matter, but Honoka's could still be confused for admiration. I apologize if anyone reading strongly disliked the melodrama. I believed and still do believe it was the best way to get across the feelings I wanted to convey. I also envision Honoka as either being completely dense to a confession or having zero idea how to respond appropriately, so I picked the latter.
> 
> As always, I appreciate every single person who reads these chapters. Your continued support encourages me to keep working on this story with passion.


	6. Discovered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

Half-awake, she slowly reached her hands out on the bed as she smiled happily to herself.

“Tsubasa-chan…”  She reached out to the place on the bed where Tsubasa was last night, but only felt the cold feeling of the mattress.

“Then…here!”  She rolled forward towards the side of the bed, looking to bump into a certain someone, but smacked against the wall as she let out a yelp. 

“Ow ow ow..”  she murmured to herself as she finally rubbed her eyes and opened them, but her eyes went wide when she realized that Tsubasa wasn't there. 

“Huh?  Huh..?”  She sat up straight on the bed, then rubbed her eyes one more time as she collected herself. 

Okay, she couldn’t see her when she looked around the room.

So the only natural explanation is…

“Under the bed!”  Honoka shouted energetically as she leaped off the bed and checked under her bedframe. 

Understandably, Tsubasa was not hiding under the bed.

As she sat on the ground trying to think of the next place to check, the door to her room slid open and she turned around with hope.

“Tsuba-!”

“No,”  Her sister immediately responded, then let out a yawn as she covered her mouth in an attempt to hide it.

“Why are you making so much noise this early?”  Yukiho stretched a bit to wake up, as instead of her alarm clock, she was woken up by her sister freaking out.

Honoka quickly shuffled over to Yukiho, then looked directly up at her sister.

“Yukiho, do you know where Tsubasa-chan went?”

It took a couple seconds for Yukiho to register the question.  One, because of how tired she was.  And two, because of how absurd the question was. 

Regardless, it finally registered.

“Ehh?!  Tsubasa-san was here?!”  she replied energetically as she crouched down, now eye level with her sister.  She was beaming with energy now, her previous tiredness all gone.

“Mhm, she stayed the night,”  Honoka casually replied, but it caught Yukiho off guard, who swallowed subconsciously.

“Onee-san, are you..?”

Honoka realized what she just said to her sister, and started to overthink it as she began to blush. 

She hadn't even told her parents or µ's about their relationship, but Yukiho was going to find out like this?  Well maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if it was her.  Mhm, she could probably keep a-

“Lying to me?!  Tsubasa-san really spent the night?  Ahhh, why didn’t you tell me?  I have so much I want to talk to her about!”  Yukiho continued on as she groaned, missing her chance. 

Watching Yukiho made Honoka laugh happily, then she pulled her sister into a hug.

“Next time she’s here, I’ll let you know right away, okay?”  Honoka ruffled her sister’s hair softly and resolved herself to let her sister know something else as well next time Tsubasa came.

…

..

Honoka was finally blessed with the idea to check her phone, where she noticed three messages from Tsubasa.

_Tsubasa (6:27 A.M.): I didn’t bring my school uniform over, so I have to head back early or I’ll be late._

_Tsubasa (6:29 A.M.): Also –_

The last message was two pictures sent at the same time, one of Tsubasa smiling next to a sleeping Honoka, and the other was her kissing Honoka’s cheek.

She blushed at first when she saw the photos, but then smiled warmly as her fingers naturally moved to save them to her phone.

 

* * *

 

Throughout the school day, Honoka appeared as if she was lost in her own world.  Kotori even caught her giggling to herself one time, which made Umi and Kotori worry but they chose to let it go.  After all, she looked so happy now.

None of the µ's members brought up any questions about Tsubasa throughout the day, they just gave knowing smiles when they saw Honoka.

Practice came, and although everyone in µ's was slightly worried that Honoka would act how she did a few days ago, they decided to trust her. 

She practiced the hardest out of the nine of them.

 

* * *

 

She practiced the hardest out of the three of them.

The trio took a break, Anju immediately grabbing her water bottle and bringing it to her lips.  Tsubasa breathed heavily, exhausted from the training, then took a drink from her own bottle as Anju passed her own to Erena.

“You’re…really serious about this, Tsubasa.”  Erena gave the bottle back to Anju after drinking out of it, then looked over at Tsubasa who looked like she somehow still had energy to spare.

“Of course.  It’s not like µ's is going to make it easy for us.”  Tsubasa smiled, then started to stretch a bit to keep herself loose.

Anju wanted to tease her about how she’s taking practice much more seriously after that date, but couldn't bring herself to when she saw how Tsubasa looked so determined.

Erena glanced towards Tsubasa, noticed her expression, and could only smile in response.

“Why don’t you go pick up your girlfriend from school?”  Erena asked as she sat down, supposedly done with practice for today as Anju quickly nodded in agreement.

“Huh?  You two know Love Live is coming up, right?  Besides, practice isn’t over yet.”  Tsubasa was confused, but Anju shook her head as she laughed.

“We know, but we still have some spare time.  You should do it before we start practicing for even longer,” Anju assured her, then gave a wink to Erena, who nodded back.

The two quickly stood up, then started lightly pushing Tsubasa towards the rooftop entrance despite her complaints.

“Wha-!?  Hey, wait a minute!  Stop!”  Tsubasa tried her best to escape their pushing, but before she knew it the door to the rooftop was shut between them and was being held closed by Erena and Anju. 

“Hey!  Erena, Anju, what are you doing?!  Come on..!”  Tsubasa tried to force it open for a few moments, but it wouldn’t budge. 

After a minute or so, she finally gave up and smiled happily.

“Thanks!”  she called out towards the door, then quickly descended the steps from the rooftop.

…

..

“Hey…Anju.”

“Hmm?”

“She didn’t deny the girlfriend part, did she?”

 

* * *

 

Honoka relaxed after practice was finally over, and all of µ's was exhausted as they felt inspired to keep up with their leader’s pace.  It was insanely hard as that girl was a pure bundle of energy, but they could tell that they were getting better.  At this rate, they just may be able to beat A-RISE.  They were all unified in these thoughts.

They were split into their usual three groups after practice, Kotori and Umi going over the practice session with Honoka, Nico being chastised by Eli and sexually harassed by Nozomi, and Rin was busy poking fun at Maki’s tsundere side while Hanayo sheepishly laughed.

A yell from one of the members made the rest of µ's look their way.

“W-W-What’s she doing here?!”  Hanayo was overcome with excitement, while Rin smiled along with her and Maki looked at the same sight with astonishment.

The six other µ's members walked to the side of the rooftop that the first-year trio was at, then looked to where Hanayo was pointing.

Nico was flabbergasted, Eli sighed with amazement while Nozomi smiled and snuck glances at Honoka.

Kotori and Umi were surprised of course, but were more interested in Honoka’s reaction, who was more shocked than anyone.

At the school gate wearing a hoodie with the hood up and black sunglasses, somehow fooling everyone besides µ's, was Kira Tsubasa.

“Hey, we’ve finished practice, right?”  Honoka asked excitedly, which made the rest of µ's smirk.  Well, save for one.

“Well yes, but –“  Umi started, but Honoka quickly took off, leaving the roof as she practically jumped down the stairs.

Umi sighed, but was suddenly embraced by Kotori who looked like she was about to cry.

“Umi-chan..” 

“Eh?!  Kotori, what’s wrong?!”  Umi panicked, completely caught off guard.

“Our daughter’s being taken away!”  Kotori exclaimed with fake tears, while Umi sighed once more.

“Whose daughter is she?!"

 

* * *

 

“Tsubasa-chan!!” 

Tsubasa looked toward the sound and saw a ginger-haired girl running right at her, and the sight managed to bring back some nostalgic memories.

Wait, that was only yesterday.

Honoka stopped just short of Tsubasa though, deciding not to send both of them flying this time.

“Tsubasa-chan, what are you doing here?”  Honoka asked, insanely happy but confused.

“Why else?  I came to see you.”  Tsubasa smiled and brought her hand to the top of her girlfriend’s head, patting it.

Honoka smiled blissfully, but then quickly came back to her senses.

“Wait, what about your practice?!”

“Ah, about that..”  Tsubasa recalled the memory of a certain redhead and a normally mature girl looking down at her mischievously.

“Well, we finished up early.  Plus…we probably won’t get a chance to see each other after the next few days because of Love Live, so I thought we should be together while we can,”  she said as she laughed quietly, then Honoka giggled as well.

Meanwhile, the group watching from nearby were all stunned into silence.

“Are you sure that’s Honoka..?”  Maki asked with uncertainty, and Umi wanted to respond but she couldn't tell either.

“Love is really something..”  Hanayo sounded inspired somehow, and Eli sighed as she stepped closer to the couple, then audibly cleared her throat.

Snapped out of their own world, the two glanced over at the previous student council president of Otonokizaka, who towered over them with an ominous aura.

“Ehh..”  The two responded in unison.

 

* * *

 

After Honoka and the rest of µ's changed back into their school uniforms, they headed out to a nearby diner as a group. 

Honoka and Tsubasa sat on one side of the table, while the other eight all huddled together on the other side like family members listening to the story of proposal to their daughter.

“Huh?  Why are you all over there?”  Honoka tilted her head in confusion, but went quiet after Nozomi held out her palm towards her, telling her to be silent for now.

Nozomi was the first to talk from the parents’ side of the table.

“So…Kira Tsubasa, was it?”  A chop was delivered to her head from Nico.

“You know who she is!”

Nozomi smiled sheepishly, embarrassed from Nico’s reaction, then collected herself.

“Sorry, sorry.  But really..”

She slammed her hands on the table in an exaggerated manner, which attracted attention from some of the other patrons in the diner.

“What are your plans with my daughter?!”

The other µ's members on that side of the table all practically pounced on Nozomi at once, telling her to stop being an idiot. 

Honoka was lost in confusion, but Tsubasa giggled after witnessing the family feeling from µ's.

Umi sighed amidst the fight that was happening, then looked towards Tsubasa apologetically. 

“Sorry about her..”  Umi said quietly, but Tsubasa shook her head.

“No, it’s fine, really.  You’re all pretty interesting.”

Umi showed a small smile, but then ended up continuing Nozomi’s line of questioning.

“But we are kind of curious..” 

Honoka started to explain it with a cover-up story as she was flustered, but stopped talking as she felt her hand suddenly being held under the table. 

When she looked over, she saw Tsubasa smiling confidently back at her. 

“It’s fine, isn’t it?” she assured her as she gave her hand a small squeeze.

“Eh…”  Honoka trailed off, then directed her gaze to the other side of the table where the eight other µ's members are.

She was caught off guardf when she saw them all looking back at her with small smiles.

Honoka gripped Tsubasa’s hand back.

“Actually, well…Tsubasa-chan and I are dating now.”  As she said the words, Tsubasa raised both of their hands up to show off as she smirked, much to Honoka’s embarrassment. 

“That’s it?  You should’ve just told us earlier,”  Maki replied as she looked away, but Nico gripped her head lightly and made her look back at the two, showing that she was blushing.

“Maki didn’t mean that, Honoka,”  Eli explained, but Honoka simply shook her head with a smile.

“No, she’s right.  I should’ve let you guys know right away.  I was just a little worried, is all."

“Hmm?  Worried about what?”  Nozomi asked immediately, but then playfully smiled.

“Oh, you’re worried one of us was going to steal away Tsubasa-san?”

Before Honoka could even get flustered by Nozomi’s teasing, Tsubasa latched herself onto Honoka’s arm to prove a point.

“Not happening.  Oh, and sorry to Yazawa-san.” 

Maki looked up at Nico with suspicion, who was now frozen.

“Why Nico-chan?”  Kotori asked innocently, then Tsubasa smiled.

“Well, in some of those letters-“

“Okay okay okay, stop!!”  Nico cut her off in a panic, then quickly turned to the group that was now looking at her suspiciously. She waved her hands in dismissal.

“That was a long time ago!  Before µ's even started, okay!?  And I didn’t mean it-!”  She received a chop on the head from Maki, then Rin immediately replied.

“If you didn’t mean it, then apologize to Tsubasa-san!  She probably feels hurt!”

Worried, the group looked toward Honoka and Tsubasa, then Tsubasa laughed calmly.

“It’s alright.  I’m taken now, anyway,”  Tsubasa explained happily, then removed one of her arms from around Honoka’s as she pulled out her phone.  She then showed her screensaver to the rest of µ's, the picture of her kissing a sleeping Honoka on the cheek.

“Ehh?!  You two are already...?”  Eli exclaimed in shock, and Honoka instantly became confused as Tsubasa showed a sly smirk.

“Like what?!  Hey, what are you talking about?!”  Honoka desperately tried to find out what the rest of µ's started panicking about.

 

* * *

 

Later, after the group parted ways at the diner, Tsubasa and Honoka were walking back to Homura Bakery while holding hands.

“Jeez, you didn’t have to show them that,”  Honoka lightheartedly complained, and Tsubasa raised a brow.

“Why?  Is it embarrassing?”  she asked teasingly, but her eyes widened when Honoka instantly pulled out her own phone to show the screensaver.

It was the same exact picture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the slower chapter this time around, I had some schoolwork that desperately needed to be concluded.
> 
> I tried my best this chapter to create an accepting feeling from the other µ's members, as I've wanted both idol groups to be supportive of the couple from the start.
> 
> A huge thanks to all who are reading this series as it comes out, and of course to anyone who may decide to pick this up after its eventual end. 
> 
> I really appreciate all the readers out there, and when some of you leave comments, I read them over and over with excitement. 
> 
> If you've been reading this far and still enjoy the story I'm creating, then please continue to look out for future chapters! I'll do my best to make them entertaining for you all.


	7. Surprise Visit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to "Love Live!"

Tsubasa slowly opened her eyes as she woke up from her sleep, then was forced to squint them as the sunlight came through the window blinds and landed directly on her face.  Slightly irritated at herself for forgetting once more, she sluggishly sat up and reached towards the cord, then twisted it to close the blinds.

Satisfied, she immediately laid back down with a quiet yawn, then closed her eyes again.

Wait, it’s Tuesday. 

Her hand shot out towards her nightstand, then slapped the top of it softly in different spots, searching for where she left her phone.  Unfortunately, she didn't find it. 

She sat up one more time as she silently cursed the gods that were doing this to her, but then looked towards the floor as she heard the sound of something dropping. 

“Ah!” Tsubasa noticed her phone, then realized it fell down after she sat up the second time. It must have been sitting on top of the covers of her bed, but why was it there and not on the nightstand?

She shrugged it off as she leaned off of the bed a bit to grab the phone, then lied back down as she tapped the home button.  She let out a sigh of relief as she read the clock and noticed the time.  It was only a few minutes before her alarm was supposed to go off.

However, she became confused when she saw one unread message from Honoka this early.  Curious, she unlocked the phone and read it.

 

_Honoka (6:01 A.M.): Tsubasa-chan, where do you live?_

_Tsubasa (6:02 A.M.): at *************  po98_

_Honoka (6:04 A.M.): Okay, thanks!_

Only the last message from Honoka was registered as ‘new.’  Tsubasa thought for a minute before it finally hit her that she replied half-asleep.

She practically jumped off of the bed and sprinted towards her door, then looked through the peephole to see her ginger-haired girlfriend standing there, wearing her school uniform along with a winter coat and scarf.  She also had a bag from a convenience store in one of her hands.

Tsubasa immediately opened the door wide and reached towards Honoka’s free hand, then gripped it.  She winced a little when she felt how freezing it was, but quickly pulled her inside as Honoka panicked at suddenly being grabbed.

Inside, Tsubasa collected herself for a moment as her clueless partner rubbed her hands together for warmth. 

Honoka started to look around the entrance of the house when she suddenly felt a dangerous aura emanating from behind her.  She slowly turned around with worry, and was reminded of Eli during practice when she saw Tsubasa’s face.

“Honoka…”

“I’m sorry,”  she apologized on instinct without really knowing why, but was then embraced tightly by Tsubasa.  She froze up for a second at the sudden transition from being scared to being hugged, but relaxed and cuddled up to her girlfriend in the warm hold.

“How long were you waiting?”  Tsubasa asked quietly as she pulled Honoka even closer.

“A-Actually, I just got here..”  she tried to explain with a soft laugh, but it was to no avail.

“Liar.”

“Uhm…Maybe 5 minutes..?  I don’t really-“

The embrace became tighter to where Honoka couldn't really slip away from it anymore. 

“If you keep lying I won’t let you go to school, Honoka,”  she murmured with a sullen voice, and Honoka just softly smiled.

“Around 10 minutes.”

“Did you ring the doorbell?”

“No," she said with embarrassment, but Tsubasa continued.

“Did you knock?” 

Honoka just shook her head with a light blush.

“Did you call me?” 

Honoka shook her head once more.  The two of them stood still for a moment, then Tsubasa moved her hands to the top of Honoka’s head as she shook it around and messed up her hair as punishment.  Honoka lightly complained as she got dizzy, then Tsubasa sighed.

“Why did you wait out in the cold without telling me you were here?”  she asked as she brought her hands to Honoka’s face and tried to warm up her cold cheeks.  Honoka looked away from Tsubasa’s gaze due to embarrassment.

“W-well, it was going to be my first time in your house, so..”  Honoka trailed off, then worriedly looked towards Tsubasa as she expected further scolding.

Tsubasa only smiled lightheartedly.

“Idiot.”

She lightly pushed Honoka so her back would be against the wall, then leaned forward and brought their lips together.  Honoka was caught off guard as her eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly closed them and leaned into the kiss, clutching onto Tsubasa’s shirt.

…

..

“Hey..”  Honoka glanced behind her with increasing impatience.

“Hmm?”  Tsubasa cheerily replied with a smile, either not noticing or pretending to not notice the tone in Honoka’s voice.

“Didn’t you say you’d let go if I stopped lying!?”  Honoka was blushing deeply and having a hard time due to the mischievous girl clutching onto her from behind.

“I said I’d let you go to school if you stopped lying,”  she giggled happily as she pressed against Honoka more, glancing over her shoulder to watch her cook, much to Honoka’s dismay. 

“What if someone sees us?!”  Honoka started, but Tsubasa shook her head.

“My parents travel a lot, so most of the time I’m just here by myself when I’m home.”  She quickly explained, but it made Honoka freeze up for a moment.

“Ah, I’m sorry..” she starts again, but Tsubasa quickly brought a finger to Honoka’s lips.

“Really, it doesn’t bother me.  Also, I’m usually hanging out with Erena and Anju, so they keep me company if I ever get bored.  And now I even have a cute girlfriend that can play with me too.”  Tsubasa smirked as she brought her finger from Honoka’s lips back down to her other hand as she held onto Honoka.

Honoka blushed at Tsubasa’s words, then realized something.

“Wait, what about when you had to call your parents so you could stay the night?” she asked with confusion, then Tsubasa smirked.

“That was a lie.”

“Wha-?!” she exclaimed, then sighed softly as she decided to let it go and instead concentrated on her cooking.

“You know, I only really make sweets with my Mom most of the time, so this probably won’t be any good..”  She trailed off as she began to lose some confidence.  She’s made breakfast for herself and Yukiho rarely, but it wasn’t anything special.  On top of that, this is her girlfriend that she’s cooking for.  A bad meal would just put a sour taste in her mouth.

She stopped thinking to herself as she felt Tsubasa rest her chin on her shoulder.  She glanced over towards her to see a patient smile waiting for her.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine.  Isn’t making sweet stuff harder than regular cooking anyway?”  Tsubasa slightly tilted her head.

“They’re two different things!”  Honoka explained a little loudly, still flustered at the idea of Tsubasa eating her cooking.

Tsubasa contemplated for a little bit as Honoka worked with nervousness, then laughed softly.

“Well, if it’s bad, then you can keep cooking for me until it tastes amazing.  Does that sound good?”  she said as she brought one of her hands that was wrapped around Honoka’s stomach to her head, then gently ruffled her hair as Honoka smiled warmly.

“Okay.”

…

* * *

 

Tsubasa finally let go of Honoka so she could focus on cooking, then changed from her nightwear into her UTX uniform. 

With her girlfriend focused on breakfast, she crept into the living room connected to the kitchen, then silently grabbed the coat and scarf Honoka had taken off.  Satisfied with her stealth mission, she retreated back into her room.

As she stood in front of the full mirror, now with Honoka’s coat and scarf on, she twirled a bit, then struck various poses as she tried to get the right feeling.  She crossed her arms, then lightly laughed to herself.

The clothes only looked so cute because Honoka was wearing them.

Peeking back into the kitchen, she could see Honoka was still immersed in her cooking. 

She quietly placed the clothes back down to their original position, then as she was about to leave the living room, Honoka started humming happily.  Tsubasa stood there mesmerized for a moment, then quickly took out her phone.

Let’s see…camera...video...record.

…

_Tsubasa (7:07 A.M.): *has sent a video*_

_Erena (7:08 A.M.): What is this?_

_Anju (7:08 A.M.): Cute._

_Tsubasa (7:09 A.M.): A video of Honoka._

_Erena (7:09 A.M.): I know that.  I’m wondering why you sent it to us._

_Anju (7:10 A.M.): Come on Erena-chan, she’s just trying to share the love._

_Erena (7:10 A.M.): I don’t want it._

_Tsubasa (7:11 A.M.): Are you sure?_

_Anju (7:11 A.M.): Really sure?_

_Erena (7:12 A.M.):  Anyway, it’s hard to believe you two are already like that._

_Anju (7:12 A.M.): When’s the ceremony?_

Tsubasa smirked.  They had the same conclusion as µ's.

 

_Tsubasa (7:13 A.M.): Hm..maybe a week and a half?_

_Erena (7:13 A.M.): That’s Love Live!_

She laughed softly, then headed back out to the kitchen.

* * *

 

They sat down at the table together, both of them with a bowl of white rice with a bowl of miso soup. 

“Thank you for the food.”  They both said together, then Honoka fidgeted a bit as she nervously looked towards Tsubasa’s direction. 

Tsubasa stared at the meal, then glanced towards Honoka, who swallowed subconsciously.  She brought the chopsticks near her mouth, and Honoka watched with bated breath.

But Tsubasa brought the chopsticks back down, which made Honoka panic.

Once more, she brought them to her lips as she was being stared at by the chef with anticipation.

She lowered the chopsticks again.

“Stop that!”  Honoka energetically complained, which made Tsubasa laugh.

...

After they both finished eating, Honoka eyed Tsubasa, who had yet to say what she thought of the meal.  Tsubasa drifted her eyes towards Honoka’s, then the two stared at each other for a long moment.

Eventually Tsubasa clicked her tongue and glanced away, which made Honoka’s soul leave her body.

“Was it that bad?!”  Honoka could feel her possible future as a chef crumbling away.

“...just the opposite, actually.  It was really good.”  Tsubasa admitted with a slight blush, but Honoka became confused.

“Then….why are you reacting like that?”  she asked quizzically, and Tsubasa softly smiled.

“Well now you don’t need to cook for me until it’s amazing,”  she said with a pout, looking the other direction, much like a certain red-headed tsundere.

Honoka stared wide-eyed, but then smiled wholeheartedly.

“I’ll still come!”

…

..

After the dishes were cleaned and they both made sure they had everything for the school day, they stood near the entrance to the house.  Honoka reached for the door handle, but looked back towards Tsubasa, and noticed she was hiding something behind her back.

“Hm?”  she murmured, then stepped closer to Tsubasa as she tried to curiously glance behind her.

When she’s fully taken the bait and stepped close enough, Tsubasa quickly leaned in and kissed Honoka for a short moment, then grinned as Honoka became flustered.

“Here.”

Honoka stopped panicking, then looked to Tsubasa’s outstretched hands, holding out winter gloves. 

“H-Huh?  No, I couldn’t..”  she tried to gracefully decline, but the gloves were forcefully given to her.

“It’s okay, they’re spare.  I haven’t forgotten what happened earlier, either.”  Tsubasa latched onto Honoka’s arm excitedly and smiled again.

Honoka smiled brightly.

“Thank you, Tsubasa-chan, but..”  she said bashfully, and Tsubasa raised a brow.

“Hm?”

“It’s kind of hard to put them on like this,”  she said as she glanced down to her arm that was currently occupied.

“Ah..right.”  Tsubasa realized it, then slowly removed her hold on Honoka’s arm.  The two looked at each other and laughed.

…

..

The two reached the point where they needed to walk separately to their high schools, and reluctantly let go of the other’s hand.

“Well, bye-bye, Tsubasa-ch-“  Honoka is cut off as Tsubasa grabbed onto her open hand, then pulled her into a quick kiss.

“E-Ehh?!  R-Right here?”  Honoka stammered due to embarrassment, but Tsubasa smiled and looked down towards their joined hands.

When Tsubasa brought her hand away, Honoka’s open palm now had a key inside of it.

“What’s this?”  she tilted her head slightly in confusion, and Tsubasa shrugged as she started walking in the direction towards UTX.

“Use it next time!  Don’t just stand out there in the cold!”  she called out as she waved her hand without looking behind her, then Honoka realized what it was as she blushed.

 

Tsubasa gave her the key to her house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I really love cute relationships like these, and of course I want everyone that's reading to look at these two lovebirds and think something like that 'they're so cute.'
> 
> Thank you to everyone who is reading this series. I was originally very nervous about posting this series, as this is my first work ever, and I never would have thought it would receive the support it's been getting. You all motivate me to keep writing about these two loveable idols.
> 
> If you're enjoying this series, then please look forward to future chapters! I'm doing my best to make this a story that will make others feel the emotions I felt reading some of the stories here.
> 
> Thank you once again!


	8. Preparation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

Later in the same day that Tsubasa gave Honoka her spare house key, μ's was in the clubroom as they reviewed the footage of the practice session they just had.

Most of the time they'll have Eli and Umi, the two coaches of the group, swapping around to spot where mistakes are made in their dance routine, but occasionally they’ll record a complete session with vocals included so they can see it from the coach’s point of view.

As the preliminary finals for Love Live approached, the standards for what needs to be consistent in practice rose.  They watched themselves for slightly late entries into both dance and song, small missteps to positions they’re not supposed to be in, and their synchronization with the members they’re supposed to be closest to on stage.

As they pointed out where movements or singing were off, the responsible members for the mistake noted it down in their heads.

When the video finished, the group relaxed in their seats for a moment, all save for Honoka.  Instead, she looked towards Eli, who was currently the one navigating the laptop.

“Eli-chan, can we watch last week’s video?”  she asked with a serious expression and was met with curious glances from the rest of the group in response.

“Huh?  Why?”  Nico asked with confusion, and Honoka thought about it for a moment, but then just smiled.

“I just felt like watching it!”

“Honoka…”  Umi murmured, but has learned to just go along with Honoka’s impulses as she looked towards Eli, meanwhile Kotori happily laughed.  Maki raised a brow but didn't object, and Hanayo and Rin nodded to support the idea.

Nozomi rested her hand on Eli’s shoulder as she gave a smile, and Eli caved in with a sigh.

“Well, I guess there’s nothing wrong with it..”  she trailed off as she moved the mouse, then eventually found the recording of their practice session from last week.  The group gathered around the screen once more as it started to play.

It was completely different from the video they just watched a minute ago.  It was the same music, same lyrics and same dance, but the quality was drastically different.

When mistakes were made, the timing before they could sync back up was much longer than today’s session.  Their voices weren’t resonating together as well as today.  Their movements were also a lot less natural than today’s.

Of course, practicing hard for a week would naturally make the performance better, but the difference in the videos were shocking. 

The group looked at the video with a mix of different expressions.  Some were embarrassed over their previous performance, some watched it with amusement, while others studied it intently.

“Rin-chan, what was that step?!”  Hanayo had to stifle a giggle as Rin immediately reacted with embarrassment.

“Kayo-chin!”  Rin pouted.

“Nico’s slow.”  Maki remarked with a deadpan tone as Nico quickly leaned over Maki’s shoulder, then pointed to the screen.

“What about that, then?!” she asked as the Maki on the screen missed a step and got out of sync with the others.

Maki watched it with shock for a moment, then quickly turned her head, which caused Nico to grip her shoulders.

“H-Hey!  You have to watch it!”  Nico panicked in surprise, then Maki begrudgingly looked back to the screen.

“Ah, Elicchi looks so pretty.”  Nozomi remarked with an expression of bliss, and Eli blushed a tiny bit as she sighed.

“Don’t just say the same thing you said last time!”  Eli complained, but Nozomi giggled quietly.

“Umi-chan, you don’t get to be mad at us during practice anymore.”  Kotori playfully pouted as the Umi on the screen made a mistake, and Umi looked troubled at Kotori’s words and her own mistake.

“I don’t get mad!”  she practically shouted back due to being flustered, which made Kotori smile.

The group laughed as they reacted to the video, while Honoka watched it with a vibrant smile.

They followed Honoka’s suggestion one more time as they replayed the practice session video from today.  As they all fully noticed their improvement, they smiled.  It’s still far from perfect, but at this rate they just might have a chance.

“Okay!”  Honoka said energetically as she stood straight up, then looked to the warm expressions of the other μ's members.

“Let’s practice one more time!” 

“Yeah!”  They all replied in unison as they started to race each other to the rooftop.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, A-RISE were busy having their own practice and review sessions as the competition steadily approached.

A few days ago, they had second thoughts about performing ‘Shocking Party’ for the preliminary finals, as they had already shown it in the first round, but it was too late to turn back now.  All they could do was just polish their performance as well as they could.

Tsubasa lightly stretched after they finished another round of dancing.  It was much better than before, but she wondered if there was anything they could do to make it better.  Erena and Anju took turns helping the other stretch, and Tsubasa sighed to herself as she couldn’t reach any conclusions. 

She clapped her hands together to get the attention of the other two, who looked over at her with serious expressions.

“Alright, let’s practice just the vocals this time.”  She suggested energetically, and Erena and Anju immediately nodded in response as they stood up.

…

As they relaxed in the clubroom after the tough practice, Tsubasa let out a quiet sigh.  Erena glanced over with worry, but Anju calmly walked over and sat down next to Tsubasa, then placed a hand on her head.

“Thinking about Honoka-chan?”  She asked teasingly, but Tsubasa simply smiled and shook her head.

“No, I’m just wondering if we’ll be alright for Love Live,” she murmured softly, and Anju gave her a worried expression, but Erena stood up and walked over to the other two, then placed her hand on Tsubasa’s shoulder.

“We’re doing our best, so I’m sure we’ll be fine,” she said with a smile, but Tsubasa was still worried about it.

“But-“

“Whatever happens, we’ll be fine, right?”  Anju cut her off, then rubbed the top of Tsubasa’s head.  The normally charismatic leader of A-RISE was now being treated like a troubled daughter by the two other members of the group.

“You two aren’t worried?”  Tsubasa asked curiously.  Erena and Anju locked eyes for a moment, but mentally came to the same conclusion as they shrugged.

“It’s not that we’re not worried, but..”  Erena trailed off as she wanted their leader to find the answer on her own.

“It’s kind of like..” Anju continued with the same intentions as Erena.

Tsubasa thought for a long moment, then just smiled.

“I get it.  Whatever happens, win or lose, we can still hold our heads high.  We’re doing the best we can.”

Erena and Anju locked eyes again after Tsubasa’s words, then ended up smiling as well.

“Yeah.”  The two said in unison, then glanced up as Tsubasa rose from her seat.

“Let’s go one more time.”

Anju giggled quietly while Erena stood up as well.

“Of course.”

* * *

 

It’s not that she was worried about Tsubasa being by herself, but it’s been on her mind ever since she was told that Tsubasa’s parents are away most of the time.  As she stood in front of the door to the house, she worriedly glanced to her shopping bag that contained curry ingredients.  She was looking for something light on the stomach due to the fact both of them were practicing hard, but she could only make very few dinner meals, so she had to settle on this.

Honoka swallowed with nervousness as she inserted the key into the door and turned it, then smiled happily to herself as she felt it unlock.  She reached to the doorknob, then turned it slowly as she inched the door open. 

“I’m home..”  she murmured quietly as she quickly got embarrassed over her own line, then got confused as the house was still dark. 

“Ehh..?” Honoka glanced around her as she started to think, then eventually found the light switch.  When she flipped it the entrance hall lit up, and then she steadily moved towards the living room.

“Tsubasa-chan?”  she called out, but no one answered her.  She found the light switch to the living room and flipped it, expecting something, but was a little disappointed when she found the house empty.

“Guess she’s not back yet..” she whispered to herself, then changed gears as she smiled. 

Honoka decided to hurry up and prepare dinner for Tsubasa before she got home.

* * *

 

Tsubasa sighed heavily as she reached the door to her home.  She knew it was her idea, but practice dragged on forever.  Now she could barely keep her eyes open and her whole body felt heavy.

She inserted the key and turned it, but instantly woke herself up from her tired state when she realized it was already unlocked.

It wasn’t her parents, as they let her know in advance when they’re returning.  This was a pretty safe area, so the chances of it being a burglar were rare.  She pulled out her phone to make sure of something but got worried when there was no message from Honoka.  If she were here, then she would’ve sent a message.

Resolved, she messaged Honoka.

_Tsubasa (6:32 P.M.): If I die, I love you._

She opened the door, then quietly snuck inside the house.

The lights were on, but she didn’t know if that meant the intruder was still here or not.  She got confused however when she could smell something coming from the kitchen.

Slowly she crept inside the living room, then tilted her head quizzically when she saw no one there, and a piece of paper was casually sitting on the table.  She reached for it, and her eyes scanned the letters.

 

_Tsubasa-chan, sorry for coming over without permission!  I thought you’d be tired after practice, so I wanted to make you dinner.  There’s curry in the microwave.  I already ate and left, so don’t worry about me!_

_-Honoka_

 

Tsubasa smiled, then walked towards the kitchen to gratefully eat the meal.

When she was done with eating and finished washing the dish, she yawned quietly as she stepped inside her bedroom, but then went wide-eyed and panicked when she saw a shape under the covers. 

Curious for answers, she slowly stepped forward, then gently pulled back the top of the covers to find the energetic leader of μ's peacefully sleeping away. 

She thought back to the letter as she noticed a clear contradiction, but just smirked. 

After changing into some basic nightwear, she crawled into the bed beside Honoka, then held her from behind.  The exhaustion from practice suddenly resurfaced, and she fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

 

A little later, Honoka slowly opened her eyes, then slightly panicked when she didn’t recognize the room.  She moved very slightly but stopped when she felt someone holding onto her from behind.  Slowly, she glanced behind her, only to see Tsubasa’s peaceful sleeping face.

That’s right.  She came into Tsubasa’s bedroom after making the curry and leaving the note, so she could maybe clean up a bit to help, but suddenly got tired and dozed off.

She moved a bit in Tsubasa’s arms, then pulled out her phone and started calling someone.

“Mom? …no, I’m okay, sorry…. yeah, sorry for not calling…mhm…”  she apologized to her mother who was worried and made sure to whisper to not wake Tsubasa, then smiled gently.

“Do you mind if I stay over at a friend’s house?...okay, thanks…mhm, I’ll see you tomorrow…goodbye,”  she finished the call as quietly as possible, then glanced behind her again to make sure Tsubasa didn’t wake up.  When she saw her still sleeping, she smiled once more.

Honoka set her phone down on the nearby nightstand, then let herself relax in Tsubasa’s embrace.  She moved her hands on top of Tsubasa’s, softly holding on to them as she closed her eyes and fell back asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone.
> 
> The finals for the preliminaries are steadily approaching, and μ's and A-RISE are practicing harder than ever. Naturally, they're going to see less of each other for a bit, but they make up for it with days like these.
> 
> I'll probably skip ahead to the preliminary finals within a chapter or two, as harder practices means I don't get to write as many interactions with the two of them. I hope you don't mind.
> 
> Thank you once again to everyone who reads and supports this story, whether you're a silent reader or someone who leaves comments that I can get excited about, I appreciate every single one of you.


	9. Resolve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

Tsubasa’s eyes slowly opened, and as she went to stretch, she widened her eyes when she realized she couldn’t feel her left arm.  She panicked for a short moment before her eyes rested on the ginger-haired girl happily sleeping away in front of her.

Ah, right.

Tsubasa had wrapped her arms around Honoka before she fell asleep, and it must have stayed that way the whole night.  Because of that, the arm that was under Honoka had fallen asleep.

“Ow ow ow…” she whispered to herself in slight pain as she separated herself from the sleeping angel, and her arm started to wake up.

She silently got out of the bed, then glanced to Honoka, who had almost immediately changed sleeping positions and was now taking up most of the bed as she stretched out.

Tsubasa stifled a giggle, then left the room to go use the bath, as she missed her chance last night.

 

* * *

Honoka had been feeling colder for a while now after Tsubasa’s disappearance, and she finally opened her eyes.

She glanced around the room, then looked to her right, expecting to see Tsubasa, but got confused when she wasn’t there.

Even though to the left is the side she was on, she checked it anyway, unsurprisingly not finding Tsubasa.

Honoka had been through this cycle before, right after they became a couple.  She learned her lesson from last time.  There was no point in checking that spot.

Her resistance useless, her eyes drifted down to the ground as she slowly leaned her body in that direction.

There’s no point in checking it.  It doesn’t make any sense.  Don’t do it.

Despite these inner thoughts, she jumped off of Tsubasa’s bed.

“Under the bed!”  she excitedly checked under the bedframe and was somehow surprised when Tsubasa wasn’t there.

“…What are you doing?”

The confused voice was enough to make Honoka look towards the doorway, only to see Tsubasa with only a towel wrapped around her.

Honoka immediately turned red, then quickly brought her hands to her own face in order to block the view.

After just a few moments, with her hands still covering her eyes, she separated her fingers a bit to peek, and Tsubasa was smirking.

“A-A-Aren’t you going to put on clothes?!”  Honoka stammered with embarrassment, but Tsubasa simply raised a brow.

“Do you really want me to?”  she asked with amusement, and Honoka almost exploded.

“Of course!”

Tsubasa laughed, then moved her hand to her towel ready to take it off, but paused as Honoka started yelling, but was apparently too flustered so the words didn’t make any sense.

“W-Why are you taking it off?!” she asked as she completely covered her eyes once more, and Tsubasa playfully sighed.

“Do you want me to put on clothes, or do you not want me to put on clothes?”

“Put them on!!” Honoka pleaded but couldn’t resist the urge as she moved her fingers once more to peek at Tsubasa’s figure.  Tsubasa giggled happily, then decided to stop teasing the girl that was about to faint.

“Well I don’t mind, but I change in this room,” she explained, but Honoka looked at her confused as she lowered her hands from her face.

“You don’t bring them in there with you?”

“I’m here alone most of the time, so there’s not really a need to.”

It all started to connect for Honoka, and then she quickly stood up and bolted out of the bedroom.  She immediately closed it behind her and Tsubasa smiled to herself.

…

After the two finished their morning shenanigans, Honoka stopping by her own house earlier to grab and change into a spare school uniform, the two held hands as they walked together towards their schools.

“How’s your practice coming along?” Tsubasa broke the peaceful silence, and Honoka brightly smiled.

“We’re doing a lot better!  Although, we are going to be practicing even longer starting today...” she trailed off quietly with a sullen expression.

Tsubasa noticed her change in mood, then removed her hand from Honoka’s, and instead gently brought it to the top of her head.

“So are we.”

Honoka relaxed her body as her hair was ruffled by Tsubasa, but it didn’t really make her feel any better.

“We’re going to have less time to see each other.” Honoka sadly remarked, and Tsubasa put on a small smile in response.

“Mhm,” she agreed, then moved her hand from Honoka’s head to her far shoulder, then pulled her close as they continued to walk.

“It’s going to be lonely.”  Honoka didn’t want to say these things, but she couldn’t stop herself.  They both already knew that Love Live would take up most of their time, so why was she making herself depressed by bringing it up?  She glanced towards Tsubasa as she wondered if she was making her sad as well, but she was still wearing the smile on her face.

“Yes, it will,” she agreed again, and Honoka hung her head.

The two continued to walk for a bit longer in silence, but it was Tsubasa’s job to break it once again.

“Are you worried about it?” Her eyes glanced down to Honoka, who was still watching the ground with a sad expression.  She slowly nodded.

“I’ve been really happy whenever we’re together.  Really, really happy,” she emphasized, and Tsubasa started to smile more as she faced forward again.

“Me too.”

“But now…now we’ll barely see each other.”  Honoka murmured the words, and Tsubasa just gently laughed as she brought Honoka closer to her.

“It’s really not like you to get so depressed.”  Tsubasa said warmly, and Honoka finally looked up from the ground towards Tsubasa, only to see her lightly smiling.

“Tsubasa-chan... are you not sad about it?”  Honoka gasped and looked away for a moment as the words left her mouth.  She was just sad and wanted to ask about Tsubasa’s feelings, but she made it sound as if Tsubasa didn’t care.

Worried, she peeked back at Tsubasa, but was surprised to see her still smiling.

“Of course I’m sad about it, why wouldn’t I be?  It’s just...” she trailed off as she tried to find the right words to say as Honoka stared into her eyes.  Tsubasa glanced at Honoka, and after seeing her face, she continued.

“We’re both school idols, and Love Live is important to both of us, right?  So, we should both work hard until it’s over.  After that, we’ll have all the time in the world to be together,” she finished, then lightly blushed as she realized she just practically proposed to Honoka.  She glanced at her, but it didn’t seem like she noticed it.  Instead, she stared at Tsubasa with amazement.

Honoka quickly slapped her own cheeks softly to snap herself out of her depressed mood, which coincidentally caused Tsubasa to panic for a moment, but Honoka quickly smiled as she looked up to Tsubasa.

“You’re right.  We should take it seriously and work hard.”  Honoka agreed, then felt just a bit guilty about getting depressed by herself.

Kotori, Umi, Hanayo, Rin, Maki, Nico, Eli and Nozomi.  The faces of the eight other members of µ's flashed by in Honoka’s thoughts.  They were all working their hardest for this Love Live with no hesitation, so she had to do the same as them.

Tsubasa laughed for a moment at how quickly Honoka could change her mood, then nodded.

“Now you get it.”

Tsubasa understood how Honoka felt.  Ever since their relationship started they’ve been together every day, so it was only natural to get worried when they wouldn’t be able to see each other for a while.  However, they both needed to give it their all for Love Live.

“Oh, I can still come over at night or in the mornings!”  Honoka said energetically as she looked to Tsubasa for approval, but Tsubasa quickly shook her head.

“Not happening,” she calmly replied as Honoka’s hopes and dreams shattered into millions of pieces.

“Ehh?!  Why not?!” she impatiently demanded a reply, and Tsubasa shrugged.

“If we win Love Live because the leader of µ's overworked herself for her girlfriend, it wouldn’t be very satisfying,” she explained while she playfully stuck her tongue out with a wink, and Honoka was stunned for just a moment, but excitedly replied.

“We won’t lose!”

Tsubasa grinned at Honoka’s words, then leaned close to her.

“You will if you tire yourself out.”

The banter continued on for a while, but Honoka finally gave up as she laughed.

“Okay, we’ll both give it our all!  I’ll save my energy so µ's can win.”  Honoka responded with fervor, and Tsubasa smiled happily.

“Good girl,” she praised Honoka, then the two smiled at each other.

Suddenly, they both realized that they’ve been walking for a while and have almost arrived at Otonokizaka.

Tsubasa slapped herself on her forehead for letting herself forget to split up with Honoka at the mid-point, then quickly started to run in the direction towards UTX, as Honoka was left stunned.

Just a few moments later, Tsubasa came sprinting back towards Honoka, and Honoka didn’t know how to respond to the comedy act.

Tsubasa sighed heavily for a second, then looked around the street, making sure no one was watching.

She quickly leaned into Honoka, meeting their lips together as Honoka’s eyes went wide, but she gave into the kiss almost immediately.

They held it there for a long moment, but Tsubasa broke the kiss and started to run towards UTX again.

“See you after Love Live!” she shouted as she ran, and Honoka smiled happily in response.

“I can’t wait!” she yelled back as Tsubasa’s silhouette slowly shrunk in the distance.

 

* * *

“You’re really fine with that?”  Erena asked in the clubroom after the school day ended, as she worriedly looked at Tsubasa who just explained the situation.  Tsubasa just nodded.

“I want us to win Love Live.  The three of us have worked hard together this entire time, so I want us to give it our all and do everything we can to win,” she resolved herself for the tournament, while Erena and Anju gave looks of admiration in response to her words.

“Tsubasa…” Erena trailed off, lost for words.

“What if someone steals away Honoka-chan?”  Anju replied teasingly as she twirled a curl in her hair with her finger, but Tsubasa smiled.

“Then I’ll steal her back.  If that does happen though, I'll have to teach her a lesson…” Tsubasa started to think up some scenarios in her head, and Anju giggled with nervousness, not quite expecting that response.

Erena stood up from her chair, then looked down at the two other A-RISE members who were now looking her way.

“Let’s start practicing then,” she said with confidence in her tone, and Tsubasa and Anju quickly turned serious.

“Let’s go!”

 

* * *

“And you’re okay with that, Honoka?”  Umi asked Honoka in their clubroom, unknowingly asking almost the same thing as a member of A-RISE.

“Mhm!  We can’t lose either!”  Honoka responded with energy, and Eli smiled as her previous doubts were all cleared away.

“But you won’t get to see Tsubasa-san for a week and a half!”  Hanayo excitedly pressed the issue, more caught up in idol affairs than anyone else, while Rin laughed with nervousness in her voice.

“Kayo-chin…” she tried to calm her down, but Honoka stood up from her seat to face the other eight µ's members.

“I know!  I’ll be sad!” she exclaimed with a smile, and the difference between her words and expression threw the rest of the group into confusion.

“Honoka-chan..?”  Kotori asked gently with worry, but Honoka continued.

“But Love Live is important to me too!  And so are all of you!  Umi-chan, Kotori-chan, Hanayo-chan, Rin-chan, Maki-chan, Nico-chan, and Nozomi-chan and Eli-chan!  You’re all very important to me!  And I know just how important Love Live is to all of you, too!  So, we can’t afford to lose!”  she vibrantly delivered her speech to the group, as they’re all stunned in silence for a moment, then started to form warm smiles.

“You’re right, we can’t afford to lose.”  Maki chimed in, then Nico excitedly slammed her hands on the table as she leaned forward while staring at Honoka.

“Don’t go saying all of that by yourself!  I want to win too!” she passionately responded, and Honoka smiled.

“I-I want to win as well!”  Hanayo stammered with excitement, and Rin gently placed a hand on her back as she looked towards the group as well.

“Me too!”

“You all..”  Honoka started to tear up, but the rest of the group didn’t miss their chance to join the conversation.

“You’re the one who started this whole thing, so we have to do our best too.”  Eli said happily, and Nozomi gave her a soft smile before she looked at Honoka and the rest of the group.

“I’ll do the best I can too.”  Nozomi responded with a warm expression, and Eli smiled as well.

Kotori and Umi each grabbed one of Honoka’s hands, and she glanced at both of them in surprise.

“Everyone here wants to win with you, Honoka.”  Umi smiled as a faint blush formed on her cheeks, and Kotori was smiling brightly with tears in her eyes as well, same as Honoka.

“Honoka-chan, I’m only here right now because of you… we’ll make sure we win too!”  Kotori said on the verge of crying with joy.

“Everyone…”  Honoka was overjoyed, and pulled Kotori and Umi into a hug, as Kotori and Honoka started to cry together.

“No fair!”  Nozomi quickly responded with playful jealousy, then headed over to the three of them as she joined in on their embrace.

Eventually, the whole group joined the hug with bright smiles on their faces.

* * *

After that, both A-RISE and µ's began their grueling practice sessions.  They extended late into the day, and when they all got home the most they could do was take a bath and eat dinner before falling asleep.

Honoka and Tsubasa messaged each other during this time, but they both didn’t have the energy for full conversations by the time they got home.

Thankfully, everyone in both idol groups managed to avoid injuries or illnesses during these exhausting sessions, and they both polished their performances as much as they could in the time they had left.

After a week and a half of training, worried families and homework that barely got completed, they all woke up ready to face the day they’ve worked so hard for.

Today was the day of the Love Live preliminary finals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone.
> 
> The final round of the preliminary finals will be taking place next chapter. This fanfiction's starting point was a few days after the first round of the preliminaries, so with 9 chapters of work in-between now and then, I'm personally satisfied with this pacing. I apologize if anyone is upset about the small skip.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who is reading this story. I'm very happy I get to write a story that you all can hopefully enjoy.
> 
> Please continue to look forward to future chapters!


	10. The Stage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

Umi and Kotori arrived at Homura Bakery, dressed in their school uniforms with winter coats and scarves.  All of µ's was supposed to meet at the venue for the preliminary finals, but the three of them had somewhere else to attend to first.

A bit before the first round of the preliminaries for this Love Live, Eli retired from Student Council President, and the title went to Honoka.  Kotori and Umi were nice enough to join along with her, but now they had to attend Otonokizaka’s open house today.

The entire group discussed it beforehand and decided that the six other members would meet up at the venue, and the student council trio would meet up with them after the school’s open house.

As Kotori and Umi approached the entrance, Yukiho came out, and stopped in place for a second, surprised to see the two.

“Ah, Yukiho-chan.”  Umi called out in her direction, and she walked towards her with Kotori.

“Is Honoka-chan ready?”  Kotori gave a smile, but Yukiho put on a worried face as she slowly turned back around to face the house.

“J-Just one second please,” she murmured, then dashed back inside the house.

* * *

“Onee-chan, wake up!”  Yukiho pleaded as she quickly shook Honoka’s sleeping body.

Honoka opened her eyes in response and was immediately disoriented from being shaken awake.

“Yukiho, what’s wrong..?” she asked with confusion as she rubbed her eyes to wake herself up, and her sister lightly flicked her forehead.

“Ow!”  Honoka rubbed the spot where she was attacked and looked to Yukiho, only to see a mixed expression of irritation and worry.

“Don’t you have to leave early for the open house?”

The mental lightbulb over Honoka’s head turned on as she yelled in panic.

* * *

“Honoka…” Umi muttered with anger in her voice.

“Honoka-chan…” Kotori was more sympathetic and was glad that Honoka managed to get ready in time.

“I’m very sorry!”  Honoka exclaimed loudly as she brought her hands together in apology.

…

After leaving Honoka’s house and beginning their walk to Otonokizaka, the three of them talked about both Love Live and the school’s open house.

“I’m not sure if many people will show up…”  Honoka trailed off as she looked up towards the snow gracefully falling from the sky.

“I’m sure they’ll all come, it’s not snowing that hard.”  Umi comforted her, and Kotori nodded in agreement as she smiled.

“My mother said we should have a lot of people showing up today.”  Kotori looked up at the snow along with Honoka.

As the two consoled her, she was immediately reminded of the conversation she had with Tsubasa a week and a half ago, as a smile formed on her lips.

She couldn’t keep getting cheered up by everyone forever.

“You’re right!  So, let’s hurry up and meet them!”  Honoka exclaimed excitedly as she broke away from the other two and started running towards their high school.

“Honoka?!”  Umi was taken off guard, but she watched as Kotori happily started running after Honoka.  She sighed lightheartedly, then smiled as she started running as well.

* * *

Eli was slowly getting ready for the day.  She felt nervous as this would be the final Love Live for the third-years regardless if they won or lost today.  Earlier, her younger sister, Alisa, tried to cheer her up when she noticed Eli’s nervous behavior, but it was no use.  It helped somewhat, but she still couldn’t take her mind off of it.  Just then, the doorbell rang.

She opened the door to see Nozomi standing there with a smile on her face.

“Nozomi…?” she said in surprise, but Nozomi playfully waved her hand.

“Hello, Elicchi.”

Eli relaxed, then opened the door wide to allow Nozomi in.

“Give me just one minute, I’ll be right out.”  Eli turned around to go finish changing but was stopped as her wrist was grabbed from behind.  She quickly looked behind her to find out why she was grabbed but goes wide-eyed when she noticed an uncharacteristically serious expression on Nozomi’s face.

“Elicchi, are you nervous?” Nozomi asked with worry, and Eli was stunned for a short moment, but finally smiled.

“Not anymore.”

* * *

 

Outside Maki’s house, two members of μ's stood in the falling snow as they waited on their friend.

“It’s freezing!”  Rin complained as her body shook from the cold, and Hanayo showed an empathetic expression.

“Kayo-chin, are we really going to perform outside in this weather?”  Rin asked through shivers.

“That’s what they told us.  Although they also said that it should get better in the afternoon, so we should be fine then.”  Hanayo smiled softly, but Rin sighed as she glanced back towards Maki’s house.

“I hope so.”  Rin mentally prayed to the weather gods, then the both of them excitedly looked towards the door of the house as Maki exited.

The two immediately walked over to Maki as she walked through the gate.

“Sorry for the wait,” she apologized, then Rin practically jumped on her for answers.

“What took you so long!?  It’s freezing!” she half-heartedly complained, then Maki looked away from the two of them.

“I told you to go on without me.”

In response, Rin glanced towards Hanayo, who gave a nod in return as she understood.

 The both of them brought their cold hands to Maki’s exposed neck and face as she jerked up in panic.

“It’s cold!”  Maki complained, then Rin and Hanayo smiled at her.

“Like we could do that.”  Rin said quietly, then Hanayo faced away from both of them as she looked in the direction of the venue.

“Let’s go together.”

Maki brought her hands up to her own face to touch her cheeks, where Hanayo and Rin’s hands were just a moment ago, then smiled.

“Okay.”

* * *

Eventually, Eli and Nozomi arrived at Nico’s house together, then they rang the doorbell.

Without checking the peephole first, Nico barely opened the door, then stopped as she saw both of them.

“Good morning, Nicocchi.”  Nozomi greeted her with a smile, while Eli showed a happy expression.

After a short pause, Nico quickly went to shut the door, but it was stopped by Nozomi’s foot as Nico gasped in shock.

“Let’s head there together.”  Eli suggested with a smile, and Nico’s eyes darted between the two of them with suspicion.

“Why?” she awkwardly responded, and Nozomi quickly lunged forward as Nico was distracted, then pulled her away from the door as Nico yelled in surprise.

“Does someone need to be punished…?”  Nozomi asked ominously as her hands slowly started to come near Nico’s chest, and Nico blushed as she panicked.

“O-Okay!  Fine, I’ll come!”  Nico darted back towards her door, then glanced back to the two of them who were quietly laughing.

“Let me finish changing.  You two should come inside, it's freezing.”

* * *

As the other six members of μ's were making their way to the Love Live stage, Honoka, along with Kotori and Umi, enthusiastically greeted all of the newcomers to the school.  Just like Umi said, despite the snow, there were many students showing up with smiles for the open house.

Though they were there as the student council, they still had to sometimes sign an autograph or two for some eager students who were attracted to Otonokizaka because of μ's.

Eventually, everyone found their way into the school and were seated in the gymnasium.  After being introduced, Honoka energetically walked on stage to welcome them all.

* * *

The six other μ's members stared in awe as they saw the stage for the preliminary finals.  It was beautiful.  They started to excitedly talk about their upcoming performance, but then all looked behind them as they heard three pairs of footsteps.

“A-RISE…”  Nico murmured quietly but was then lightly pinched from behind by Maki.  Nico immediately glanced towards her, but quickly calmed down when Maki gave her a serious look, then they both looked back to A-RISE.

“Hm?  Where are the other three?”  Erena was the first to speak among A-RISE, and Eli took it upon herself to answer.

“They had to be at the school for the open house, so they’re going to arrive here later.”

“Honoka did say something about that…”  Tsubasa suddenly recalled, but Anju stepped forward as she gained the attention of Tsubasa and Erena.

“Will they make it on time?!” she asked seriously as she stared at the rest of μ's with intensity.  Tsubasa looked at her in surprise.

“Anju…” she trailed off as the other μ's members looked at each other with slight worry for a moment, then Eli answered again.

“They should be fine.  Nothing could stop them from coming,” she replied confidently, and both A-RISE and μ's relaxed.

“You’re right.”  Tsubasa said with a smirk as the thought of her ginger-haired girlfriend sprinting through snow popped into her head.

Tsubasa gave a quick glance to Erena and Anju, then the three of them continued to walk towards the venue, but Tsubasa stopped for a moment.

“We won’t lose, so all of you better do your best,” she warned with a small hint of happiness in her voice, then ran to catch up with the other two walking as the six other girls there smiled.

“We will!”  They responded in unison.

* * *

“You can’t help but worry about it, huh?”  Erena rested her eyes on Tsubasa, who was looking over the balcony at the group of six, who were still waiting outside.

“A little bit.”  Tsubasa softly smiled.

The three of them had already changed into their uniforms for their performance as their time to go on stage came closer, but Tsubasa insisted on waiting on the higher floor until the last minute.

"Tsubasa..."  Anju was worried about her, Tsubasa resembling a lost puppy as she watched the group.

“Ah!” she yelled in excitement, and both Anju and Erena immediately came running over to the balcony to see.

Honoka, Kotori and Umi ran towards the group of six and were welcomed with open arms as the entire group smiled and laughed happily.

Tsubasa finally relaxed while Anju breathed a sigh of relief.

“They made it…”  Anju was happy and Erena nodded in response.

Ever since their leader began dating the leader of μ's, they became more invested in μ's than ever before.  They were supposed to be rivals, but they couldn’t help but be happy for them.

“Let’s get ready.”  Tsubasa turned away from the balcony, her serious expression returning now that one of her main worries was gone.  Anju and Erena looked at each other for a second, then smiled.

“Yeah!”  They both responded energetically, and A-RISE started running to their preparation room.

* * *

After μ's reunited, they immediately went to their preparation room to quickly change into their costumes.  They were all nervous, but also excited.  They missed out on the last Love Live, and this was their chance to make up for it.  They were all motivated to win here and now.  With Honoka’s suggestion, they quickly began to rehearse what they could.

* * *

Erena held Tsubasa’s hand, and Tsubasa held Anju’s hand as they stood side by side, ready for their turn.  When they heard their group’s name, they all looked at each other for a moment with the same hopes and thoughts in mind, then quickly went onto the stage to perform ‘Shocking Party.’

* * *

The nine members of μ's stood on stage, holding hands in a line.

Honoka wasn’t able to see Tsubasa’s performance, but she already knew that A-RISE performed amazingly, so now they had to match that.

With closed eyes, every member of μ's thought about what motivated them to be on this stage today.  They recalled how the group formed, their hardships, their precious memories, and the entire journey that led to them being here.

The motivation to win resonated within all of them, and they moved to their formation as they began to sing their new song, ‘Snow Halation.’

* * *

μ's and A-RISE stayed with their own groups after their performances, waiting in different locations as they both intently stared at the screen where the results would be shown.

Tsubasa and Honoka couldn’t be together just yet.  They each had to be with their idol groups for this moment.

An attention-grabbing noise came from the screen, and the letters on it slowly changed to reveal the winner of the Love Live preliminary finals.

Winner: μ's.

A-RISE stared at the screen for a long moment as they let the feelings sink in.  They were able to watch μ's performance since it came after theirs, and they even discussed it afterwards, as they talked about how μ's was going to win.  Still, they each held the hope in their hearts that the screen would show the name A-RISE instead.

Tsubasa was the first to turn around and walk away.  Erena and Anju gave a worried look for a moment, but quickly followed her.

They had given it their all and there were no lingering feelings of frustration, but it still hurt just a bit.  As they walked, they started their conversation on Love Live, their own feelings, and their future.

* * *

μ's celebrated their win for a long time.  They were all ecstatic, still unable to believe the results even an hour after the fact.

The group enjoyed their long-awaited reward for their demanding practice sessions, and after having enough fun to last the month, finally decided to head home for the day.

Meanwhile for Honoka, she stood in front of the door to Tsubasa’s house, filled with nervousness.

Was this too early?  What kind of look would Tsubasa give her?  What if being here today ended up hurting her?

She quickly shook her head, disregarding the doubts in her mind, then quietly entered the key as she unlocked the door.

“Pardon the intru-“ she started to enter the house with a soft voice, but froze in place when she saw Anju standing near the entrance.

“A-A-A-“  She stammered in a panic as a million thoughts floated in her head, but Anju grinned as she reached out and grabbed onto Honoka’s shoulder.

Guiding the leader of their rival group as she was about to explode from confusion and embarrassment, Anju walked into the living room as Honoka tripped due to being distracted.

“Ow…” she whispered to herself after the small pain, then looked up from the ground to see the three members of A-RISE staring down at her.

“Eh..?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone.
> 
> The Love Live preliminary finals has finally happened, and of course, μ's managed to win.
> 
> The first half of this chapter is essentially how it was in the show as I felt it was essential to write it in, but with minor differences I've added with how I imagine the characters in the story. I hope nobody minds.
> 
> Personally, I like the chapters with Tsubasa and Honoka being cute more than this, but this is a necessary trial in the story.
> 
> With this, the preliminary finals arc is essentially over, and the story will continue on. I still have the story of these two leaders to tell, it won't end here.
> 
> And now, Honoka is in a dangerous situation with the three members of A-RISE.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who reads my story! I'm really happy that I can share this with other people.
> 
> Please continue to look forward to future chapters.


	11. Kotatsu Fun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

“Tsubasa-chan!”  Honoka immediately leaped forward and reached her arms out to the A-RISE member in the middle of the three, then practically tackled her as they both fell to the ground.

Tsubasa was taken by surprise and didn’t know what to do for a moment as she was embraced by Honoka.

She was wondering how she was supposed to face Honoka after the performance today.  She still loved her of course, but Honoka was also the person who took their spot as the winners tonight.

As she struggled to find the right words, she froze up when she heard sniffling, and finally looked at Honoka’s figure to see that she was shaking slightly.

“Huh?!  What’s wrong?”  Tsubasa panicked as she brought her arms around Honoka, then lightly hugged her.  Honoka pulled away from the hug a bit so she could look at Tsubasa’s face.

“I haven’t seen you in so long!  I’ve been holding back this whole time!  I’m so happy…”  Honoka had tears in the corners of her eyes, and Tsubasa sat there with wide eyes and a faint blush.

She’d been wondering what to do when she met Honoka.  How awkward their conversation would be.  She thought Honoka may end up trying to be careful about the situation and their conversations wouldn’t be natural anymore.

Tsubasa lightly smiled to herself.  Honoka had none of those worries.  She was just happy to be able to see her again.

Tsubasa’s gently brought her hand to Honoka’s face, then wiped away the tears before they could start falling.

“I’m happy too.”

Slowly, Tsubasa brought her face closer to Honoka’s, then quickly stopped in place when she felt the stares of the other two people there.  She glanced to them for a moment.

“Oh, don’t mind us.”  Erena assured seriously as she was enjoying watching the situation with Anju.

“Don’t stop at the good part!”  Anju exclaimed disappointed, and Honoka’s cheeks went red while Tsubasa simply laughed.

……

Just a short bit after the embarrassing scene, the four of them were seated around a kotatsu table in the living room.

“And so, we were wondering what we should do now.”  Tsubasa finished catching Honoka up on their conversation, and Honoka glanced down towards the floor after Tsubasa was done talking.

“Ah…” Honoka murmured awkwardly, not sure how she was supposed to respond to that.

A-RISE were all gathered here to talk about everything.  Their performance at Love Live, how they felt about losing to µ's, and what that meant for them and their futures.

Honoka couldn’t possibly say anything in this situation.  To start with, she wasn’t part of their idol group, and secondly, she was part of the reason they didn’t know what to do now.

The three members of A-RISE gave each other worried glances, not sure what to do about the mood now after Tsubasa explained their circumstances.  However, Anju decided to ask the question that Erena and Tsubasa didn’t want to ask Honoka.

“What do you think we should do, Honoka-chan?”  Anju asked softly with a small smile, while Tsubasa froze.

It wasn’t that Erena and Tsubasa didn’t want to know how Honoka felt.  They just didn’t want to ask this of her.  Even though her group won the preliminary finals, she had to feel conflicted about Tsubasa’s feelings.

“W-What do I think…?  I’m not sure if I should…” Honoka trailed off.  She didn’t feel like it was her place to talk about this with them.

“Please, tell us.”  Anju pressed on regardless, and Honoka was forced to move her eyes from the ground and look at Anju.  She was serious about this.

“I’m curious as well.”  Erena decided to side with Anju, curious to see Honoka’s thoughts on the matter.  Both because she was Tsubasa’s girlfriend, and because she was the leader of µ's.

“Are you sure?  I might be selfish…”  Honoka was worried about giving them an irresponsible answer.  She wasn’t aware of their circumstances, or how they felt after losing today.

Suddenly, Honoka felt her hand being grabbed from under the kotatsu.  Her eyes moved to Tsubasa, who gave her an encouraging nod.

Honoka let out a breath as she readied herself.

“I think you should continue!  No, I really want you all to continue!” she answered seriously, and it caught A-RISE off guard, looking stunned at Honoka’s energetic answer.

“You’re all amazing school idols!  To be honest, every time I watch one of your performances I get really happy.  I love watching you dance and sing.”  Honoka smiled brightly.

“You’re the reason I became a school idol, so I’d really hate it if you stopped performing!” she said selfishly, then gasped as she realized she got ahead of herself.

“I-I mean… I wouldn’t like it, but it’s your choice, I’d understand it if you did…” she tried to nervously correct herself, but A-RISE all smiled happily.

“What’s this about us being the reason you’re a school idol?”  Erena asked with a smirk but glanced at Tsubasa instead of Honoka.

“Mhm, someone hasn’t told us the story.”  Anju’s smile turned into a grin as she stared at Tsubasa as she demanded answers with her eyes.  Tsubasa lightly blushed as she shook her head, then looked to Honoka.

“I hadn’t heard about that until now either, so I'm interested."

“Ah!  It’s not really anything int-“ Honoka tried to explain away, but Tsubasa leaned in closer with a serious expression.

“Very interested.”

Honoka blushed again while Anju and Erena quietly giggled at the sight.

Through some stammering and having to repeat some parts when asked, Honoka explained to them what led to the forming of µ's.  How she learned Otonokizaka was going to be closed down, what she felt when she thought about having to switch schools, and when she saw her mother reminiscing about Otonokizaka by looking through her senior yearbook.

Then she talked about learning about UTX from her sister Yukiho, and how she visited there to see what made their schools so different.  It was then that she saw A-RISE’s performance of ‘Private Wars’ on a screen displayed in front of the school and was inspired to try to create her own idol group.

The members of A-RISE listened with surprise, and as Honoka finished, they were momentarily stunned.

Suddenly, Anju fell down and looked to the ceiling, while the three others immediately looked at her with worry after she fell.

“You mean WE’RE the reason we lost?!” she exclaimed with disbelief, and the other two members of A-RISE froze.

“Ah…” they murmured in unison.

……

The members of A-RISE laughed about it afterwards while Honoka didn’t know how to respond, awkwardly fumbling for an answer.

“So you’re the same as us.”  Tsubasa said softly, while Anju and Erena smiled and Honoka looked at her with confusion.

“Huh?”

Tsubasa glanced to Erena and Anju for a second, then smiled as well as she brought her gaze to Honoka.

“We don’t want to stop performing either.  We were a little lost on what to do after losing, but in the end, we decided we love performing more than anything else.”  Tsubasa said warmly with a shrug, and Honoka smiled happily.

“You guys…” she started, but then quickly paused as something clicked in her head.

“So…you all already agreed on what you wanted to do before you asked me…?” she tilted her head, and Anju giggled innocently.

“Yup!”

Honoka hung her head in embarrassment and was then patted on the back by both Tsubasa and Anju.

……

After Honoka was consoled, the four of them talked about various things, then Anju had an idea.

“Earlier, you said your sister was going to attend UTX, right?” she asked to make sure, and Honoka looked at her quizzically.

“Yes…she didn’t want to come to Otonokizaka because it was going to close down.  Why?” she asked, but Anju smirked.

“Then…”

Tsubasa didn’t like the sound of this.

……

After a few minutes, Tsubasa and Honoka walked back into the living room.

Tsubasa was now wearing Honoka’s Otonokizaka uniform, and Honoka was in Tsubasa’s UTX uniform.  Anju looked at the two with amazement, while Erena walked up and gently placed a hand on Honoka’s shoulder.

“Please transfer to our school.”

Honoka waved her hands in front of her as she shook her head, denying the possibility while Tsubasa laughed.

While Honoka was flustered, she felt a hand gently grab her chin and turn her head.  She blushed as Tsubasa was just a few inches away, looking at her with a passionate expression.

“My honey Tsubasa-chan, I love you.  Hold me close to you, baby.” 

Honoka almost exploded with embarrassment as Tsubasa attempted to impersonate her with an American accent, and Anju playfully acted as if she was going to swoon.

“I-I don’t act like that!”  Honoka loudly defended her dignity.

 ……

After the fake American Honoka personality was dismissed without a second thought, the group continued their light teasing and fun conversation.  This was the first time Anju and Erena were able to talk to Honoka like this, and they were going to make use of it.

“Honoka-san, how does Tsubasa act when she’s alone with you?”  Erena asked curiously, and Anju raised a brow as she glanced to Tsubasa, who looked like she wanted to silence Honoka.

“Tsubasa-chan?  Well she’s actually-“

“Don’t tell them.”  Tsubasa quickly cut her off, not wanting Anju and Erena to have even more ammunition to tease her with when they were practicing at UTX.

Anju lightly grabbed onto Tsubasa, trying to hold her in place as she gave Honoka an innocent smile.

“What were you saying?” she mischievously asked as Tsubasa wriggled her body to try to escape Anju’s hold.  Erena gave Anju a quick thumbs up.

Honoka nervously laughed as she watched Anju and Tsubasa’s fight, but then decided to continue explaining anyway.

“She’s amazing!  She’s very sw-“

Tsubasa broke out of Anju’s grip and brought her lips to Honoka’s, cutting her off with a kiss as Erena and Anju stared in shock.

She broke the kiss shortly after, then gave the blushing Honoka a playful wink.

“Don’t tell them,” she repeated with a smile, and Honoka slowly nodded.

“So close!”  Anju groaned as she missed her chance, and Erena looked disappointed as well.

Anju quickly switched gears though.

“Honoka-chan, your family has their own bakery, right?” she asked with a slight head-tilt, and Honoka snapped out of her blushing state from Tsubasa’s kiss.

“Yeah we do, Yukiho and I even help out sometimes if they’re busy or we’re free.  Why do you ask?”

Anju clapped her hands together, then looked at Honoka with a smile.

“Could you teach me how to bake something, then?”

Tsubasa appeared confused as she looked at Anju, but Erena understood and smiled.

“Eh?  Right now?  Do we even-“ Honoka was surprised, but Anju quickly stood up and started to lightly shove Honoka towards the kitchen.

“It’s fine, it’s fine!  Tsubasa should have some stuff lying around.”

“Ah, w-wait!  What are we even making?”

Anju thought about Honoka’s question for a short second, then laughed.

“I don’t know!”

“Ehh?!”

* * *

While Honoka and Anju started on making cookies, Anju donned in an apron with an intense expression like a student trying to learn from her respected sensei, Tsubasa watched the two with an amused expression, then glanced to Erena.

“I didn’t know Anju wanted to learn how to bake sweets,” she remarked, and Erena quietly laughed.

“I don’t think she does.”  Erena responded, then glanced to Honoka.  Although Anju basically forced her into teaching her, she looked excited and happy that they could work together and was being very patient with Anju’s questions.

Tsubasa raised a brow, then followed Erena’s gaze as she started to watch the two in the kitchen once more.

“If she doesn’t, then why did she ask Honoka?”  Tsubasa was clueless as to what Anju’s plans were, and Erena smiled slightly.

“She wants to see how your girlfriend is.”  Erena explained, which caused Tsubasa to look in her direction with bewilderment.

“What do you mean?”

Erena sighed softly, then a happy expression formed on her face as her eyes followed Honoka’s back.

“Our leader suddenly runs off and gets a girlfriend, then can’t stop talking about her when we’re not practicing.  Of course we’ll want to see her for ourselves.”

Tsubasa stared in amazement for a moment as Erena spoke, then quickly smiled as she glanced back to the kitchen to watch the two of them again.

“I see.”

* * *

Honoka sighed in relief as she pulled out the tray of cookies, then saw that they turned out great.  She held the tray, then looked at Anju with a bright smile.

“Look Anju-san, they’re perfect!  You’re amazing!” she said with enthusiasm, but Anju was smiling as she looked at Honoka instead of the tray.

“No, you are.”  Anju replied innocently, but Honoka got confused.

“Huh?  But you’re the one who made them…”

Anju giggled softly.

“It’s fine if you don’t get it.”  Anju turned away and started to happily walk back towards Tsubasa and Erena, while Honoka tilted her head as she didn’t understand.

* * *

“Buy the ring.”  Anju said in a whisper as she sat back down with the two of them, and Erena immediately laughed while Tsubasa smirked.

“Did she pass?”  Tsubasa asked, and Anju looked surprised as she raised a brow.

“How did you…?” she started, but quickly realized the answer as she looked at Erena, who suddenly averted her eyes in order to not reveal the truth.

* * *

After the four of them ate the cookies, it was time for Anju and Erena to leave for the night.  They all stood near the entrance as Anju and Erena put their outside shoes back on.

“Honoka-chan, you can come crying to me when Tsubasa does something wrong.”  Anju placed a hand on Honoka’s shoulder to assure her, while Tsubasa looked at her with disbelief.

“Traitor.”  Tsubasa said jokingly as she grabbed onto Honoka to pull her close, and Erena and Anju both smiled.

“Bye-bye!”  Anju called out as the two of them left the house, and Tsubasa and Honoka waved back at them as they walked away.

“Tonight was really fun!”  Honoka called out, and the two of them glanced back at Honoka for a short second, then waved back as they left.

Tsubasa closed the door, and Honoka laughed happily as she thought about the entire visit.

“They’re really fun!  You’re all very close,” she smiled happily but is then taken by surprise when Tsubasa suddenly pressed both of her hands to the wall behind Honoka, and Honoka was trapped between Tsubasa’s arms.

“T-Tsubasa-chan?!” she panicked as her heart started to race, then looked to Tsubasa’s face, who was looking back at her with a serious expression.

“We need to make up for lost time,” she answered with impure intentions.

“Ehh?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> Throughout these chapters, Anju and Erena have had development, but never really had the chance to talk to Honoka in a relaxed setting. I wanted to use this chance to expand on their personalities, as well as clear up the feelings created by the preliminary finals.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who is reading this story! You all honestly don't know how much I look forward to writing this when I know people will be able to read it and hopefully enjoy it.
> 
> I sincerely hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for sticking around with my story, and I hope you're able to look forward to future chapters!


	12. New Years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

“We need to make up for lost time.”

Honoka stared into Tsubasa’s eyes after she said that, then her gaze naturally drifted down to Tsubasa’s lips.

The leader of A-RISE leaned in closer as she had Honoka pinned to the wall, and Honoka nervously closed her eyes as she awaited the kiss.

After a few moments of not feeling anything, she slowly opened her eyes again to see Tsubasa two inches away, standing still with a smirk.

“Just kid-“  Tsubasa started, but was immediately cut off when the girl in front of her leaned forward, meeting their lips.

Tsubasa was only shocked for a moment before she replied, enthusiastically kissing back as she gently moved her body forward, which pressed Honoka further against the wall.

She wanted to try something.  When they first started their relationship, Honoka was against it, but maybe now…

Tsubasa moved her tongue into the kiss.

Honoka froze for a moment.  Tsubasa opened her eyes a bit to monitor Honoka’s reaction, but soon enough Honoka gave in to that as well.

……

After a few minutes, both leaders were blushing heavily as they tried to collect their breath.

Tsubasa wasn’t expecting that.  She originally just wanted to mess with Honoka, but then she was the one being kissed, and Honoka didn’t even fight the next step either.

Ah, this was dangerous.  They really shouldn’t be in the same house together at night.

As Tsubasa was desperately thinking of ways to control herself, Honoka smiled.

“I’ve been wanting to kiss you as well, Tsubasa-chan,” she nervously laughed, and Tsubasa felt just a bit guilty.

“Ah..right,” she averted her gaze from Honoka’s sincere eyes.

“H-Huh?  What’s wrong, Tsubasa-chan?”  Honoka reached her hands towards Tsubasa’s face, then one gently cupped her chin while the other moved to her forehead and checked for a fever.

Tsubasa didn’t have the heart to tell her that she was red due to blushing, not being sick.

“It’s just…”

“Just what?”  Honoka looked to Tsubasa with a confused expression, then Tsubasa sighed softly.

“I was only trying to tease you…” she admitted, then after a few seconds, Honoka crouched down to the ground as she held her head in shame.

“I can never get married now…”

“H-Hey!”  Tsubasa immediately panicked, then crouched down as well to try to console her.

……

After she was assured that she’s still eligible for marriage, she sat down on the couch in the living room as Tsubasa called out to her from the kitchen.

“Want coffee or anything?”

“No thanks.”  Honoka shook her head, then Tsubasa walked towards the couch with a cup of coffee in her hands, then sat down next to Honoka.

She brought the cup to her lips, then immediately brought it away once she realized how hot it was, and Honoka giggled.  She glanced towards Honoka’s happy expression, then smiled as she relaxed.

“Sorry.  I actually wanted to talk to you alone about something.”

Honoka gave her a worried look but decided to stay silent and just listen for now as she nodded.

Tsubasa nodded back, then brought her eyes down to the cup in her hands as she continued.

“It’s about what we talked about earlier, about Love Live.”

Honoka brought her hands together near her lap as she patiently listened.

“As you know, before you got here, Erena, Anju and I were discussing what to do.  In the end, we wanted to keep performing for everyone.  That’s what we all decided on, and Erena and Anju looked satisfied, so there shouldn’t be any lingering feelings about our loss.”

“I’m still happy to hear that.”  Honoka quietly chimed in, and Tsubasa gave a small smile in response.

“However, there’s something I really want to ask you.  No, I need to ask you.”

Honoka was surprised but stayed silent.

“We did our best in the final round of the preliminaries, just like all of you.  It was probably the best performance we’ve had since we formed A-RISE.  However, we still lost fair and square.  After we discussed it together tonight, we were truly satisfied.”  Tsubasa sighed.

“Or so I thought.”

“Huh?”  Honoka interrupted in surprise, but quickly looked down to her hands that were shaking slightly.  She needed to let Tsubasa finish.

Tsubasa glanced to Honoka’s hands, wanting to clear up the misunderstanding, but decided to close her eyes as she continued explaining.

“The entire time Erena and Anju were here, and even now, I’m still wondering why we lost.  Trying to find out why we lost, and μ's won.”

“I-I see…”  Honoka clenched her hands tighter together.  This subject was uncomfortable for her.  She couldn’t explain the difference between μ's and A-RISE, or why they were fortunate enough to win tonight.  Tsubasa opened her eyes, then smiled to herself again as she was finally saying these words aloud.

“I still can’t figure it out.  μ's definitely won the hearts of all the fans out there, and you all managed to deliver an amazing performance.  After we saw you all perform, we already knew you were going to win before the results even came out.”

Honoka brought her gaze back up, then looked to her side as she stared at Tsubasa in awe.

“But why was that?”

“E-Eh?”  Honoka stammered, looking for an answer, but Tsubasa shook her head in amusement.

“I haven’t asked my question yet, don’t worry.”  She assured her as Honoka let out a sigh in relief, and Tsubasa set down the coffee on a nearby stand as she continued.

“I know you all put in the effort needed and practiced for a long time.  And after watching you all on stage and meeting your group in person, I know your teamwork is excellent as well,” she complimented them, and the faces of Anju and Erena flashed in her mind for a moment.

“But we put in effort as well, and our teamwork is excellent like yours.  To tell you the truth, we tried our best to work harder than you guys.  I knew how late your practice sessions went on, and we made sure to work longer.  That’s our pride and style as A-RISE.  So, I was thinking that we should not have lost to you all.  But we did.”

Honoka listened with bated breath, but her eyes widened when Tsubasa turned her body to hers, then leaned closer as she looked into Honoka’s eyes.

“What I want to ask you – what I want to know – is the reason.”

Tsubasa moved closer, slowly forcing Honoka back as she started to lean backwards.

“What is it that keeps μ's rolling?  Something that’s holding you up, or even a feeling that keeps you all going.  What is that?”

As Tsubasa asked these questions and moved closer, Honoka kept leaning back in nervousness, and eventually Honoka was laying down on the couch while Tsubasa stared down at her.

“That’s what I wanted to ask you.  Please tell me the reason.”

Honoka blushed deeply as Tsubasa stared seriously into her eyes from above, but she discarded her nervousness as she searched for an answer.

“U-Uh..Ehh…”  Honoka wanted to find the answer that Tsubasa was looking for, but nothing came to mind.

What did make μ's different from A-RISE?  A-RISE practiced just as hard as them, had just as much teamwork, and had just as much passion for being school idols.

Honoka never really thought about why they won until now.

“I-I’m sorry!  I really don’t know!”  Honoka finally caved in under the pressure of Tsubasa’s gaze, and Tsubasa simply stared down at her in surprise for a short moment before smiling.

Tsubasa moved back away from her position, and Honoka slowly leaned back up, then bowed in apology.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a good answer…” she felt guilty, but a hand suddenly touched the top of her head.  She looked up to find Tsubasa, who seemed happy anyway.

“Don’t worry about it.”  She ruffled Honoka’s hair gently, but Honoka’s head instantly shot straight up as she looked into Tsubasa’s eyes with an intense gaze.

“I know!  You should come watch us for a day!”

“Huh?  Watch you…?”  Tsubasa was confused, but Honoka pressed on.

“Mhm!  You might find the reason if you watch our practice, right?” she suggested with energy but stopped when she realized that it might be painful for Tsubasa to see μ's so soon.

“Well, I mean…only if you want to…”  Her tone changed, and Tsubasa giggled softly before she  nodded.

“Sure, I’ll come.”

Honoka smiled brightly, then grabbed onto Tsubasa’s hands with enthusiasm.

“Okay!  We’ll start right after New Year’s tomorrow!”

……

After the two discussed their plans a bit more, the events of the day hit them all at once, and they decided to call it a night.

After taking turns in the bath and Honoka borrowing some clothes from Tsubasa, they headed to Tsubasa’s bedroom to sleep.

Tsubasa managed to control her urges, unwilling to try anything more today after Honoka already accepted their heated kiss earlier.

Maybe next time.

* * *

Kotori and Umi walked to Honoka’s house the following night, ready to visit the shrine with her and the rest of μ's.  However, someone else greeted them after they rang the doorbell.

“Tsubasa-san?!”  Umi took a step back in shock, while Kotori happily gave her a wave.

“Hi, Tsubasa-san.”

Tsubasa laughed softly, then fully slid the entrance door open.

“I’ll go get her, you two come in.”

After Tsuabsa left to go upstairs and the two girls walked inside, Umi looked to Kotori’s calm expression in disbelief.

“You already knew Tsubasa-san would be here?”

Kotori looked quizzically at Umi for a moment, then smiled.

“Nope!”

Umi sighed as Kotori answered nonchalantly, not understanding how it was so natural for Kotori to find Tsubasa in Honoka’s house.  Was she the only sane one here?

Kotori and Umi both looked up at the stairs though as Tsubasa and Honoka walked down, fully dressed with winter coats and scarves.

“Happy New Year!”  Honoka energetically greeted them, and Umi sighed once more while Kotori looked at Honoka innocently.

“Honoka…”  Umi murmured as she looked at the carefree girl.

“It’s not the New Year yet.”  Kotori finished the sentence with a smile while Honoka looked confused, and Tsubasa watched with amusement.

“Huh?  Then....may you have a blessed New Year?”  Honoka tried again with a smile as Tsubasa brought a hand to her own mouth to stifle a laugh.

“That’s a parting message…”  Umi corrected her once again, but Honoka quickly dashed past them as she left the house. 

“Come on, we need to get to the shrine before the new year!”

Kotori enthusiastically ran after her, while Tsubasa had to persuade Umi to just go along with Honoka’s pace.

……

As the four of them walked to the shrine, they saw Erena and Anju waiting by a telephone pole.

“Wha-?!”  Umi barely had the chance to react before the two of them came jogging over, then nonchalantly joined the group.

“Happy New Year, Honoka-chan.”  Anju greeted her with a smile, and Honoka panicked as she quickly brought out her phone to see the time.

Midnight.

“We missed it!!”  Honoka yelled in shock as Tsubasa and Anju patted her on the back to try to cheer her up.

“Happy New Year to you two as well.”  Erena greeted Kotori and Umi with a small smile, and Kotori smiled back.

“Happy New Year!”

“W-Wait.  Why are we all meeting with A-RISE?  When did you all get so close?”  Umi was flabbergasted at how natural this seemed to be for the five of them, and they all glanced towards her with confusion.

“Isn't it fine?”  Anju asked innocently, then glanced towards Honoka, who laughed with embarrassment.

“Sorry, I thought it’d be fun to visit with them as well, and I wanted it to be a surprise…”

“Honoka…”  Umi murmured.  She didn’t mean to come off as the villain, she was just surprised to meet up with all of them like this without knowing beforehand.  As she searched for a reply, she felt a slight tug on the cuff of her sleeve, then she looked at the person who did it.

“It’s fine, right Umi-chan?”  Kotori asked happily, and Umi smiled as she looked back towards A-RISE and Honoka.

“Sorry, I was just surprised is all.  Let’s go meet up with everyone else.”

Honoka happily smiled in response, and the rest of them gave a nod as they continued on towards the shrine.

Kotori joined the Anju alliance to tease Honoka, while Umi and Erena talked about the lyric-writing process for their respective groups.  It’s not long after they started walking when they see the group of first-years from behind.  Honoka immediately broke away from the group as she started to run towards them.

“Happy New Year!”  She called out happily, and Maki, Rin and Hanayo all turned around in response to her voice.

“Happy New Year!”  Rin grabbed Honoka’s hands with hers in excitement, while Maki looked away.  Honoka glanced to her, then went wide-eyed with a bright smile.

“Maki-chan, you look beautiful!”

Maki instantly blushed and quickly looked to Honoka to explain.

“I-It’s not like I wanted to wear this!  It was all my Mom’s i-“ She tried to nervously explain but was interrupted as Hanayo yelled.  She was the only one of them that noticed the large group that approached from behind Honoka.

“A-RISE?!”

Hanayo’s loud outburst made Maki and Rin look as well, and they flinched in surprise.

Anju and Kotori gave them a wave, Tsubasa and Erena just smiled a bit, while Umi gave them a look that said she didn’t understand what was going on either.

……

The group grew to nine members after the situation was explained to the first-year trio, and they climbed their way up the steps to the shrine, then took their place in the line to pray.

“Maki-chan, you really do look cute though!”  Kotori innocently complimented her, while Maki froze for a second as the situation was brought up once again.

“She’s right, Maki-chan.”  Anju quickly agreed with Kotori with a smirk as she casually addressed Maki in a friendly manner.  Maki started to stumble for words to reply with.

“H-Happy New Year!”  Hanayo nervously greeted them for the third time, while Rin had to attempt to calm her down while Erena laughed.

Their turn to pray arrived, and Honoka grabbed Tsubasa’s hand with hers to get her attention.

“Tsubasa-chan, what are you going to wish for?”  Honoka excitedly asked, and Tsubasa happily sighed.

“You know I can’t tell you.”

“Honoka, no wishing for multiple things.”  Umi warned her lightheartedly while Honoka immediately complained.

“Eh!?  Why not?!”  Honoka pouted while Tsubasa and Umi smiled.

The nine of them lined up and prayed as Honoka managed to take the longest time with her wish.  Honoka listened to Umi’s advice and only made one wish, while Tsubasa made her own, which coincidentally would have been Honoka’s second wish.

The next stop on their visit was the ends of the shrine grounds, where Nozomi was helping as a shrine maiden.

“Nozomi-chan!”  Honoka called out energetically as the group approached, and Nozomi turned around.

“Ah, H-“  She quickly stopped in surprise when she noticed A-RISE with them, but instantly smiled.

“Happy New Year.” Nozomi warmly greeted them.

“Happy New Year!”  The group all replied in unison.

After hearing the commotion, the temporary helper came around the corner while she held a heavy box with both hands.

“Nozomi!  Where do I- Wha?!”  Nico, who was wearing a shrine maiden outfit as well, dropped the box in surprise as she stared at the nonchalant group.

“Y-You guys came!?  And even A-RISE is here?  Huh?  Wha-?”  She’s cut off after Rin ran up to her energetically.

“You look so cute!  And I bet…” Rin looked back to the group, then grabbed Maki’s arm and pulled her over next to Nico despite Maki’s fussing.

“Mhm!  You could make a really cute traditional Japanese duo with Maki-chan!”

“Eh?!  A duo?”  Maki blushed with embarrassment, then an unrealistic scene involving Nico and Maki played out in Honoka’s thoughts.

“That’s it!”  Honoka and Anju both said at the same time as if it was a wonderful idea.

“Cut it out!”  Maki got even more flustered.

“What are you two even thinking of?!”  Nico tried to get the beautiful vision out of Honoka and Anju’s thoughts.

“Hello everyone.”  Eli approached the group as the second helper in the shrine maiden outfit, then paused due to surprise after she noticed A-RISE with them.

“Eli-chan!”  Honoka happily greeted her, and Umi stepped forward as well.

“You look charming.”

“It really does suit you.”  Erena agreed, and Eli lightly blushed.

Anju tried to take her phone out to take a picture but was quickly stopped by Tsubasa.

“Happy New Year everyone.  I really would like to stay and talk, but we’re really busy right now.  Nozomi, you have to help too.”  Eli warned the mischievous shrine maiden, who smiled innocently.

“I know, I know.  See you later!” she happily said goodbye to the group, then walked off with Eli, who was quickly followed by Nico who couldn’t stop taking peeks back at A-RISE.

* * *

After the shrine visit, they all finally decided to head back to their homes for the night.  Honoka and Tsubasa snuck in a quick kiss goodbye while no one was looking, and now Tsubasa, Erena and Anju were walking towards their homes as they all lived close to each other.

“They’re all good girls.”  Anju was happy that they were all able to meet up so soon, even if it was just for a little bit.  Erena and Tsubasa smiled.

“We’re starting practice again tomorrow, right?”  Erena asked to make sure but was surprised when Tsubasa shook her head.

“We have somewhere to stop by tomorrow.”

Anju and Erena both gave her a confused look, but both relaxed as they have learned to just go along with their leader.

“Sure!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> The scene of Tsubasa bringing Honoka to the park after the new years shrine visit has been adapted differently, combining last chapter and this one. I thought it would be more natural to do it this way considering the fact they're actually dating in this story.
> 
> Apologies for the slower chapter this time around. I originally planned to involve A-RISE with μ's a little more as the story develops, but it's expectedly difficult to try to manage twelve characters in the same scene, so I'm trying to find the right balance between having some members be quiet and having too many dialogue lines.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who reads and enjoys my story! I'll try to discover how I want to meddle these two groups together and manage to keep the story quality consistent, or if I even have the luxury of trying it. Please bare with me through this process.
> 
> Please look forward to future chapters!


	13. Group Training

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

Tsubasa arrived outside of Homura Bakery as they agreed, then she quickly pulled out her phone to let Honoka know.

_Tsubasa (8:32 A.M.): I’m here._

As soon as her fingers tapped the send button and the icon indicated that the message was sent, the entrance sliding door instantly slid open to reveal Honoka. 

Tsubasa stared slack-jawed for a moment, not really expecting Honoka to be standing at the door ready for the text, but then sighed quietly as she walked up to the door.

“You’re sure you want to do this now, and not after we get back?” she asked if it was really okay with Honoka, but the leader of μ's nodded without hesitation.

“I promised I’d tell her the next time you came over,” she explained it simply, but Tsubasa curiously raised a brow.

“You told her that you’d tell her something about us?  Hasn’t she been curious this whole time?” she asked with disbelief, then Honoka smiled sheepishly.

“Well, it’s more like I promised myself that I’d tell her…” she trailed off, then Tsubasa gave her a small smile as she walked inside the house past Honoka.

“Yukiho?” Tsubasa called out her name casually, which made Honoka raise her hands to Tsubasa’s mouth to try to stop her, but she was too late.

“I haven’t readied my heart yet…” Honoka let out a long breath as she tried to calm her nerves, and Tsubasa laughed quietly.

“You weren’t already ready?  It’s kind of too late for that,” she explained in a teasing tone as her eyes gazed up to the stairs, and she spotted Yukiho standing still at the top of them.

“Tsubasa-san!”  Yukiho called out to her energetically as she ran down the steps, then tilted her head in confusion as she looked up at Tsubasa.

“What are you doing here, Tsubasa-san?” she asked quizzically, as her sister didn’t tell her in advance that Tsubasa would be visiting.

“I actually came here to talk with you,” she answered simply, then decided to correct herself as she grabbed Honoka’s hand, then pulled her next to her.

“More specifically, we want to talk with you,” she clarified, and Yukiho was confused as her eyes moved down to Tsubasa and her sister’s linked hands.

“Okay…?”  Yukiho answered with slight hesitation, not exactly sure what they would want to speak to her about.

……

The three of them sat down in Honoka’s room, Tsubasa and Honoka seated on the bed while Yukiho used the chair that was near the desk.

“Yukiho, I’ve actually been hiding something from you.”  Honoka explained as she looked directly into Yukiho’s eyes.

Recently, whenever Honoka has confessed something, or has decided to be honest with her feelings, she's been too shy during the conversations.  Now, she resolved herself to face forward with any future problems from now on.

Yukiho waited patiently as her sister stared and readied herself.

“You see…Tsubasa-chan and I are dating.”  Honoka confessed to her sister clearly, and Yukiho stared in shock.

She wasn’t entirely sure what she expected her sister to say to her, but it certainly wasn’t that.

“D-Dating...?!” she repeated the word, so she could comprehend the fact.  Mainly, she couldn’t believe that her sister, who hadn’t expressed interest in anything romantic until now, would suddenly be in a relationship.

“Are you surprised?”  Tsubasa asked casually, and Yukiho quickly nodded in response.

“O-Of course!  I didn’t know anything!”  Yukiho sighed as she started to calm down from the initial shock, then looked to the pair on the bed with a smile.

“I’m surprised, yes, but…if Onee-chan is happy, then I’m happy,” she explained, then her eyes widened when she noticed her sister jumping towards her.

The chair fell to its side as Honoka hugged her sister on the floor, while Yukiho attempted to escape the sudden hold on her.  Eventually, she decided to just relax and hugged her sister in response.

“Congratulations, Onee-chan.” 

Honoka looked up from the embrace as she brought her eyes to Yukiho’s face, then smiled brightly.

“Thank you!”

……

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?”  Tsubasa asked as they both walked out of the house, and Honoka sighed with exhaustion.

“I’m already out of energy…” she groaned as Tsubasa smirked, then the sliding door suddenly opened behind them, which caused them both to turn back around.

Honoka’s mother walked towards them as she held Honoka’s gloves in her hands.

“Honoka, you forgot these.  You didn’t dry them after you got home last night, so I was worried they wouldn’t be ready before you left,” she said as she handed them to Honoka, then gave a small wave to Tsubasa, who waved back.

“Thanks!” Honoka gratefully accepted the gloves, then quickly put them on. 

Tsubasa glanced back and forth from Honoka to her mother, then lightly tapped Honoka’s side with her elbow.

“Want to tell her too?” she asked quietly with a smirk, and Honoka quickly shook her head as her mother looked at them with a smile.

“I’m off!”  Honoka called out to her happily as the two started to walk away.  Her mother watched them walk off for a moment, then turned to walk back inside the house as she smiled even more.

Of course she already knew, she was her mother after all.

……

The two of them eventually reached the school as they spotted a familiar duo.  Both pairs walked towards each other as they waved.

“You two are late.”  Erena complained light-heartedly while Anju quickly nodded.  Tsubasa shrugged, then pointed at the one responsible. 

“Wha-!”  Honoka was shocked at the betrayal, then Tsubasa smirked as she looked to Anju and Erena.

“She wouldn’t stop touching her sister, so we ended up running late.”  Tsubasa said playfully as she intentionally left out the important details.

“Honoka-chan, are you…?”  Anju looked at her with a scared expression, and Honoka quickly scrambled to explain the full story while Tsubasa and Erena laughed.

……

“They actually know we’re coming this time, right?” Anju looked suspiciously at Honoka, who was the root cause of having to deal with all of the surprise of the μ's members at the shrine last night, as they walked inside the mainly empty school.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry!  I properly told them this time!”  Honoka assured her with a bashful smile, then stopped in place as she turned to face the three of them. 

“I have to stop by the student council room for a second, so just wait here!” she said quickly, then started to jog down the hallway.

Erena and Anju decided to stay in place without any complaints, while Tsubasa curiously followed Honoka.

* * *

“Morning!”  Honoka greeted the three student council members energetically as she entered the room.

“Ah, morning!”  One of them replied as all three of them smiled when they saw Honoka.

“Here’s the documents we compiled.”  The one that greeted her walked towards her, then handed her a clipboard with papers attached.  Honoka quickly accepted it with a smile, then bowed apologetically as she looked at the three of them.

“Sorry for making you work over winter break,” she apologized, but a different member quickly shook her head.

“It’s okay, we had nothing else to do anyway.  This is the least we could do to help.”

“Anyway, good luck with Love Live!  We’ll all be cheering for you guys.”  The last member chimed in happily, then Honoka smiled again.

“Thanks!”

…

Tsubasa listened in on the conversation from outside the room, then smiled to herself as she started to walk back towards Erena and Anju.

She was beginning to understand the answer to what she asked after Love Live.

* * *

Later, all nine members of μ's were gathered on the rooftop, standing in a straight line as the three members of A-RISE looked straight at them.

After Honoka brought up the idea of Tsubasa watching their practice that night, Tsubasa asked if Erena and Anju could come as well, and soon enough it developed into more of a coaching session.

“The finals for Love Live are still three months away, but that doesn’t mean you can slack off.”  Tsubasa warned the group as they all quickly nodded in response.  Erena spoke up next.

“You all know how the finals go, right?  The costumes, the choreography, the length of the song, basically everything is up to you.”  She started to explain the situation, then Anju continued for her.

“They’ll have each school idol group perform, then the winner is decided by votes both in-person and online.  Popularity’s pretty important, too.”

A-RISE explained the situation as the winners of the previous Love Live.  μ's listened intently, as they would never normally have the opportunity to speak to A-RISE like this.

“Well, we have some bonus popularity after beating A-RI-“ Nico started to talk without thinking about it, then Eli lightly stepped on her foot to stop her.  Nico realized her mistake too late and looked at the three A-RISE members, who now looked back at her with dangerous expressions.

“That’s right, you do have that.”  Tsubasa replied calmly, then looked back and forth from Erena to Nico for a moment. 

Erena quickly picked up on the message as she noted down on her clipboard that Nico would have to do extra practice.

“By the way, what’s your group’s catchphrase?”  Anju asked as her eyes glanced towards Honoka, who looked taken aback.

“Catchphrase…?” she repeated the word with confusion, then Hanayo stepped forward a bit. 

“That’s right, we need a catchphrase!  Every group gets a space for their catchphrase on the Love Live page,” she explained to them, which piqued the group’s interest.

“So you’re saying we should come up with one too?”  Nozomi asked as she glanced towards Anju, who was caught off guard.

“You guys haven’t thought about it until now?” she replied with disbelief, then was struck silent when the group shook their heads.

“Well, I guess they never got the chance to until now.”  Erena said with a shrug, then everyone fell silent for a moment as they thought about it.

They were all taken out of their thoughts as they heard a loud clap, then looked to the source of the sound.

“Alright, we can all think about it after practice.  Let’s start on that.”  Tsubasa reached a hand out towards Erena, who gave the clipboard to her.  Tsubasa then walked towards μ's, who all circled around her as she held the training plan.

The expressions on the faces of all of the μ's members quickly went from eager to unenthusiastic. 

“This is…” Eli trailed off in shock, and Nico visibly recoiled as she looked to the numbers on the paper.

“Did you all just come up with this…?” Maki asked with disbelief, and Anju gave her a confused look.

“No, it’s our training schedule.”  Anju explained innocently, and all of μ's froze.

……

“Can’t…go on…” Rin resigned herself to her fate as she slowed down and went to lay down, but was then quickly supported by Hanayo as she pulled her back up.

“What…is this…?” Umi breathed heavily as she attempted to run up the steps to the shrine.

“Umi-chan…” Kotori kept up with her, the two of them powering through with mental strength alone. 

“Umi-chan, Kotori-chan, help me…”  Honoka barely trailed behind them but was determined to complete the training.

“Nico…Nico…Nii…”  Nico offered her signature phrase one last time before she started to walk towards the white light.  Maki noticed Nico’s exhaustion, then grabbed onto her, letting Nico use her for support as they continued to walk up the steps.

“Elicchi, the cards…they’re saying it’s not possible…”  Nozomi convinced herself as she jogged up the steps, and Eli sighed heavily as she followed.

“You don’t even have them with you…”

Meanwhile, at the top of the steps, the three A-RISE members looked down at the group in shock.

“Did we really lose to them…?”  Erena asked with shock, while Tsubasa and Anju watched with disbelief.

* * *

After everyone managed to survive, they all retreated back to the clubroom and relaxed.

The members of A-RISE watched as μ's all struggled to collect themselves, exhausted from the training session.  They were still surprised, but looked at each other and smiled slightly, then started to work together on the whiteboard in the clubroom.

After a few minutes, they all stepped away from the board to reveal a fully detailed training plan for a few weeks as everyone in μ's looked at it with amazement.

“This seems much more manageable.”  Umi remarked, then Tsubasa smirked.

“You’ll eventually move onto the training that we did today.  If you can stick to this schedule here for a few weeks, you should be able to do today’s training without any issues.”  Tsubasa explained, and the group looked at her skeptically.

“Impossible…” Nico murmured, then Anju giggled.

“Well, I think it’s about time we left you alone.”  Tsubasa said with a smile, then started to walk towards the clubroom door as Erena and Anju followed.

“Wait, what about the catchphrase?”  Honoka interrupted, and they paused for a moment, then Tsubasa turned back around.

“That’s something you have to come up with on your own, isn’t it?”

The members of μ's looked at her in surprise for a moment, then they all smiled when they realized that she was right.

* * *

They all returned to their homes for the day, the members of μ's physically exhausted from today’s training.  However, they all looked forward to eventually being able to complete A-RISE’s training without any problems.

After they texted each other goodnight, Honoka went to sleep happily after she thought about today’s events, while Tsubasa went to sleep as she wondered how to take their relationship to the next step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone.
> 
> Apologies for the late release of this chapter. I was left with some helpful feedback about some of my grammar mistakes and general mistakes I was making in my writing, and I decided to completely fix up chapters 1-12 before I started on chapter 13. Fixing up the chapters took much longer than I expected.
> 
> They may not be 100% perfect as it's possible I've missed some tiny details, but they should be much better than they were before in terms of grammar and such.
> 
> I'm not instructing anyone to go back and re-read the earlier chapters, as they don't have any substantial changes (as I said, the changes were majorly grammar related, with some minor changes in wording here and there.) However, it should be much easier on new readers and a general re-reading experience if anyone decides to do that in the future after this story is finished.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who reads this story! I like to think that I'm very fortunate to have people continue to read these later chapters, as it shows they at least enjoy the story enough to keep reading as it comes out.
> 
> Please look forward to future chapters!


	14. Special Sunday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

Honoka waited patiently for her partner to arrive as she looked around the street.  After μ's started following A-RISE’s suggestion, though the practice was tough, they endured it and steadily built up their stamina.  They still weren’t sure on what catchphrase to go with, but each group member had asked those closest to them, and they slowly approached the answer.

Today was their first off day since they returned to practicing.  Most of the μ's members chose to use the day to relax or recover their energy, but Honoka had different plans.

After the two realized that they hadn’t gone on a single date since the day they first became a couple, they immediately postponed any other plans they had and dedicated today to each other.

“Honoka!”

Honoka quickly turned around to the direction of the voice, then locked eyes with her charming girlfriend who was talking towards her.

“Sorry I’m late.”  Tsubasa apologized with a small smile, happy to see Honoka, and Honoka quickly shook her head as she smiled in return.

“It’s okay, I just got here,” she lied casually due to embarrassment, as she was unwilling to tell Tsubasa that she was so over-excited for their date she arrived thirty minutes early.

“I see.”  Tsubasa decided to go along with it, although she already knew Honoka was waiting there for longer, as she was able to see her from the store she stopped by earlier.

She decided to not postpone it, then reached into a pocket and pulled out a small box.

“Tsubasa-chan?”  Honoka glanced at the box with confusion, then looked up to Tsubasa, who was smiling.

Tsubasa pulled off the small lid on the box, then slowly pulled out a silver pendant with a heart shape at the end.

Honoka blushed as Tsubasa walked behind her to put the necklace on her.

“W-What’s this?”  Honoka asked with embarrassment as she looked down to see the pendant that was now hanging loosely around her neck.

“Just a small present.”  Tsubasa said gently as she wrapped her arms around Honoka from behind, which made Honoka smile as she reached up her hand up to hold the heart shape on the pendant.

“I don’t have anything to give you though…” Honoka murmured as she felt a bit guilty, but Tsubasa just smirked as she leaned closer.

“I can think of something.”

Tsubasa teasingly whispered the sentence next to Honoka’s ear, and her breath tickled Honoka’s neck as Honoka immediately jumped in surprise and squirmed out of the embrace.

“T-T-Tsubasa-chan?!” she stammered as her thoughts started to go crazy, but Tsubasa laughed softly as she reached forward and grabbed Honoka’s hand in hers.

“Let’s go,” she said with a smile as she pulled Honoka into the nearby café.

Honoka, who still had a deep blush on her cheeks, looked around the café as she realized it.

“This is where we went on our first date!” she exclaimed excitedly as her eyes scanned the shop with glee, and Tsubasa happily nodded.

After they greeted the waitress and were led to their table, both of them decided to order the same thing that they did on their first date.

“Couldn’t resist the sundae, huh?”  Tsubasa lightly teased as she watched her enthusiastic companion with amusement.

“It was so good!” Honoka replied energetically with a bright smile which made Tsubasa laugh a bit, then both of their sundaes arrived.

Honoka quickly reached out to grab the spoon, but Tsubasa gently grabbed her wrist before she could.

“Hmm?” she asked, confused, then Tsubasa calmly grabbed her own spoon, scooped some of the sundae in it, then held it out towards Honoka’s mouth.

“Say aah.” Tsubasa instructed her with a smirk on her face, and Honoka froze up for a second as she stared at the spoon.

“Ehh…?  I don’t really know…” Honoka tried to back away a bit, but Tsubasa leaned in closer to follow.

“This is still embarrassing for you?” Tsubasa tilted her head slightly as she watched the panicked leader of μ's, who quickly nodded with a blush.

“I mean, I’ve never done it before, so…”

Tsubasa playfully rolled her eyes, then moved the spoon closer to Honoka’s mouth.

“We’ve already kissed with tongue included.”  Tsubasa remarked with a sly grin, and Honoka fervently shook her head to get the image out after she recalled it.

“Don’t bring that up now!” she complained bashfully, then decided to just slowly open her mouth, and Tsubasa fed her.

Tsubasa pulled the spoon out of Honoka’s mouth, then watched with amusement as Honoka’s face went from embarrassed to pure joy.

“It’s good!”

Honoka was immediately happy, then used her own spoon to scoop up some as she held it out towards Tsubasa.

Tsubasa raised a brow, then quickly leaned in, but skipped right past Honoka’s outstretched arm, instead meeting her lips for a quick kiss when nobody was looking.

She pulled away as Honoka looked at her in awe.

“It’s good,” she replied with a wink, then the two of them laughed.

……

After they both finished eating, they quickly left the café to visit the next stop on their date, the movie theater.

With Tsubasa’s suggestion, they went into the theater for a horror movie that recently released.

“I think Yukiho was talking about this one.”  Honoka said simply as they entered the room and found their seats, and Tsubasa looked at her in surprise.

“So, you already know about it?” she asked with a hint of disappointment, as she had hoped to watch something with Honoka that they both hadn’t seen already. 

Honoka shook her head as she relaxed in the seat, then looked to Tsubasa.

“I just remember her being excited about it, that’s all.”

Tsubasa sighed with relief, which made Honoka look at her with confusion.

She was glad that Honoka didn’t know anything about it.  Anju told her that it was really scary, and Tsubasa wanted to see how Honoka would react.

It was unexpected.

Honoka was really excited as the movie played, not getting scared at all, while Tsubasa watched it with nervousness.

She originally planned to comfort Honoka if she got scared, but now that plan was ruined. 

Tsubasa’s eyes wandered over to Honoka’s expression, then she stared in surprise as Honoka seemed like she was having a lot of fun.

Well, maybe this result wasn’t too bad.

……

The two continued to walk along the street as they held hands.

“I never thought that she’d be the murderer…” Honoka recalled with disbelief, and Tsubasa smiled.

“Now that I think about it, they did give a lot of hints.”  Tsubasa replied as she thought about the movie.

It was a murder mystery movie where a family all gathered on an island to discuss how the grandfather’s inheritance would be split up, then strange murders started occurring.  The family members originally thought it was the work of a witch, who was rumored to be hiding on the island, but it didn’t turn out to be so simple.

“But she was really good at hiding it!”  Honoka was amazed, then Tsubasa giggled quietly.

“People can be really good at hiding their intentions,” she said with a shrug, then Honoka paused as she turned to her.

“Then, are you hiding anything you want to do?” Honoka asked her innocently so she could learn if she would be able to tell if Tsubasa was lying or not, excited by the movie’s mystery element.

After Honoka asked her, Tsubasa’s eyes moved from Honoka’s eyes to her body, then she stared for a long moment before turning away with a small blush.

“Nope.”

“Ah!  You are!”  Honoka replied energetically, then attempted to get the answer out of Tsubasa, who kept on denying it.

……

The last stop on their date that they wanted to visit was the amusement park.

Originally, they wanted to visit it with all of μ's and A-RISE together, but not everybody was free on the days they wanted to go, so they just decided to visit with all of them at a later time.

“It’s actually kind of crowded…”  Honoka murmured in surprise, then Tsubasa held her hand tighter so they wouldn’t lose each other in the crowd.

The first ride they decided to go on was a rollercoaster.

After they patiently waited in line and were seated, Honoka suddenly faced Tsubasa with a grave expression.

“I don’t want to do it anymore…” she murmured as she started to have second thoughts, and Tsubasa laughed softly.

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” she assured her, then the amusement park staff walked away from the seats after making sure everyone was safely strapped inside.

“Tsubasa-chan, help me…” Honoka begged her partner as the nervousness began to hit her all at once, but Tsubasa gave her a mischievous smile.

“Sorry Honoka, you’re stuck here,” she casually shattered Honoka’s hopes, then the ride started to move along the tracks.

“No no no no no!”  Honoka watched with terror as they started to climb along the tracks to the peak of the rollercoaster, and then the ride suddenly stopped at the top.

Honoka slowly opened her eyes that she previously closed in fear, then cautiously looked to Tsubasa.

“Huh?  Are we stuck?” Honoka asked as she looked around her, then noticed the mix of excited and nervous expressions on all of the other people on the ride.

Tsubasa raised a brow.

“Honoka, have you never been on a rollercoaster before?” she asked with surprise, then Honoka shook her head.

“No, why?”

Just then, the ride started to move again, then plummeted straight down while Honoka screamed and Tsubasa laughed happily.

……

“One more time!”  Honoka enthusiastically suggested after they both finished riding it for the second time.

“What happened to the terrified girl?”  Tsubasa asked playfully with a sigh, then Honoka grabbed her hand as they started to walk towards the ride.

After the both of them continued to go on various rides in the park, and made sure to take breaks to relax, they finally arrived at the last attraction.

They sat down inside the Ferris wheel on the same side, then slowly started to rise in the sky as the ride started.

They were silent for a moment as they gazed at the scenery of the park around them, then Honoka suddenly kissed Tsubasa’s cheek as she laughed.

“I love you.”

Tsubasa blushed a bit at Honoka’s actions, then turned her body to face Honoka while she smiled warmly.

“I love you too,” she replied with happiness, then leaned in close to Honoka to kiss her on the lips. 

Honoka leaned into it with a smile on her lips, then broke the kiss as their cart in the Ferris wheel reached the peak.

Her eyes shined with amazement as she looked down at all of the lights of the park creating a beautiful scene.

“It’s so pretty!” she exclaimed with pure joy, then moved around a bit to see if she could find a better angle to watch from, while Tsubasa smiled as she watched.

“Tsubasa-chan, it’s-!” she started to happily tell Tsubasa about the scenery but was cut off as their lips touched again.

She was surprised for a moment, but quickly kissed back.

She was so happy.  The date was turning out to be even more amazing than she imagined. 

Tsubasa leaned away for just a short moment as she looked into Honoka’s eyes, as she stared back with amazement.

“I love you.”  Tsubasa repeated the words, then immediately closed the gap again as she inserted her tongue into the kiss.

Honoka’s eyes widened with shock.  She was okay with the shorter kisses since the two of them were far away from public view, but what about this?  She froze up for a moment as she wasn’t sure what to do.  Tsubasa noticed Honoka’s lack of a response.

She took too long to respond, and Tsubasa pulled away from her with a content expression on her face.

“Sorry, I kind of got carried away,” she apologized with a quiet laugh, but then Honoka quickly leaned in and decided to return the favor twice-over.

……

The two left the Ferris wheel with flushed cheeks, still holding hands but were unwilling to look each other in the eye for the moment.

They were silent on their walk home, but neither one of them were uncomfortable in it.  It felt peaceful, and Honoka had a small smile on her face as she clutched the pendant that was hanging around her neck.

Tsubasa had a warm smile on her face as they walked, but she could feel her heart beating fast. 

They reached Tsubasa’s house, and after they said their goodbyes, Honoka started to walk away but Tsubasa impulsively reached out and grabbed her wrist to stop her.

“Tsubasa-chan…?”  Honoka murmured her name in confusion, then looked to Tsubasa, who looked like she was thinking about something.

She knew she was being pushy.  She knew that it most likely wasn’t a good idea, but she wanted to anyway.  She wanted to see more of Honoka’s cute side.

“Can you stay here tonight?” she suddenly asked with a blush, then Honoka stared at her for a long moment before replying.

“…Let me ask.”

……

Tsubasa patiently waited for the phone call to end, then looked up as Honoka walked back towards her.

“She said it was okay.”  Honoka answered happily, then Tsubasa could feel her own heart as it started to flutter more.

The two entered Tsubasa’s house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone.
> 
> We've had a lot of the anime events happen in a row due to how the anime set it up, but now that we're in the period before the Love Live finals I'm excited to start writing these types of chapters again that don't have to adapt anything.
> 
> As for this chapter, Tsubasa realized she wants to take the next steps in the relationship. I'd like to say now that if anything does ever happen, events will only be highly suggestive in nature due to the age-rating on the story. I hope you all understand.
> 
> I hope someone also manages to understand the tiny reference to a different game/anime that I've placed in this chapter.
> 
> As always, thank you all for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter, then I sincerely hope you'll keep reading my story as it comes out.


	15. Honesty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

After they walked inside, they took off their coats and relaxed.  Tsubasa acted suspiciously for a bit after they were inside, blushing at the strangest things or not being able to look Honoka in the eyes, but it seemed to have passed for now as Honoka started to make dinner.

Tsubasa leaned against the nearby counter and watched her with a smile on her face, then broke the silence.

“How’s practice for Love Live going?” she asked quietly, and Honoka gave a small smile as she looked down to the pot on the stove as she continued to cook.

“We’re practicing hard with the schedule you, Erena and Anju came up with, but we’re still a little distracted.”

Tsubasa looked at her confused for a moment, then continued.

“What’s distracting you?”

“Well, we still haven’t come up with the catchphrase, so it’s still on our minds…” Honoka responded absentmindedly, then looked at Tsubasa for a second.

“Do you have any ideas, Tsubasa-chan?” she asked with a hopeful expression, and Tsubasa seemed to be thinking about it for a minute before she shrugged.

“Well…not really,” she smirked, and Honoka looked at her with suspicion.

“You DO have an idea!” she emphasized, then placed the cooking utensil she was using down as she walked up to Tsubasa.

“Please tell me,” she said sincerely as she looked directly into Tsubasa’s eyes, which made her look away with embarrassment, still not entirely over what she planned to do.

“What about the food?” she asked as she nodded to the pot, then Honoka gasped with surprise as she quickly ran back over, which made Tsubasa laugh.

“So, you really can’t think of anything?” Honoka asked with a hint of disappointment as she glanced to Tsubasa, and Tsubasa averted her eyes again for a short moment, but then replied.

“You’ve been doing the training schedule we gave you, right?”

Honoka was confused but went along with Tsubasa’s question.

“Yes…”

“That’s the one that ends with a run up the shrine steps, right?”

“Mhm, then we take a break there before we head back to the clubroom.”  Honoka answered simply as she tilted her head a bit, not quite sure what Tsubasa was trying to tell her.

“Then you should have it.”  Tsubasa replied with a playful grin, and Honoka immediately had question marks floating above her head.

“Ehh?  What do you mean?”

Tsubasa laughed quietly, then moved from the counter as she started to walk away.

“Hmm…what do I mean?”  Tsubasa asked mysteriously with playfulness in her tone, and Honoka quickly reached out and lightly grabbed Tsubasa’s wrist to stop her.  Tsubasa turned around in surprise and saw Honoka’s enthusiastic expression.

“Please, one more hint!”  Honoka begged her as she looked into Tsubasa’s eyes, and Tsubasa blushed a bit as she looked away.

“…Try looking around the shrine next time,” she relented, then escaped Honoka’s hold on her, and Honoka looked puzzled at the sudden switch in personality.

……

“That was amazing.”  Tsubasa said happily as they finished eating, and Honoka smiled bashfully.

“You’re complimenting me too much…” Honoka was a little embarrassed, but very glad that Tsubasa enjoyed her cooking.

“It’s true though.  I wish I could eat your homemade cooking every day.”  Tsubasa assured her with a smile, but Honoka became flushed.

“I-It’s not homemade if I make it here…” she explained, but Tsubasa raised a brow in confusion.

“But this is your home.”

Honoka almost exploded with embarrassment, but quickly responded.

“What about Homura Bakery!?”

Tsubasa put a finger to her own chin as she thought about it for a moment, then closed her eyes and acted as if she was in deep thought.

Honoka watched with patience as she waited for Tsubasa to realize her mistake, but Tsubasa suddenly opened her eyes when she thought of the answer.

“Homura is your second home!” she excitedly replied, but Honoka instantly rejected it.

“Why would that be the second home?!”

……

Honoka started to collect the dishes to wash them, but Tsubasa stopped her.

“At least let me do the dishes, I can’t just let you cook and clean,” she said clearly as she grabbed the plates from Honoka’s hands, and Honoka reluctantly let go.

“I want to do them though…” she light-heartedly pouted, and Tsubasa smiled a bit.

“I’m seriously going to become dependent on you if you do.”  Tsubasa explained as she laughed softly, then started to head to the kitchen.

“Let’s do them together then!”  Honoka energetically replied as she came up with the idea, and Tsubasa sighed as she glanced to Honoka.

“That kind of defeats the whole point of me doing them for you…” she tried to convince her, but Honoka quickly shook her head as she smiled.

“I’m sure it’ll be fun if we do them together!” she insisted, and Tsubasa raised a brow in disbelief.

“You think washing dishes is fun?” she replied skeptically, but Honoka shook her head once more.

“Not normally, no.  It might be fun with Tsubasa-chan, though!” she convinced herself, and Tsubasa finally gave up with a happy sigh.

“Suit yourself.”

Honoka looked surprised for a moment that Tsubasa actually accepted, but then she quickly ran to the kitchen.

“I will!”

The two of them monotonously washed the dishes together, but for some reason had a small smile on their faces.

……

After they finished, they finally decided to take their baths and go to sleep.  Tsubasa had already taken hers and was now waiting for Honoka to finish as she started to get nervous.

Before she could be left alone with her thoughts for too long, the door to her room opened, and Tsubasa turned around to see Honoka, who was wearing the clothes Tsubasa set out for her.

Tsubasa quickly stood up from the ground, then noticed Honoka’s hair was still wet.  She tilted her head a bit in confusion.

“You didn’t dry your hair?”

Honoka looked back at her with a blank expression, then reached her hand up to feel her own hair.

“I did.”

Tsubasa looked at her with shock, then brought her hand up to feel Honoka’s hair as well.  It felt like it had only been rubbed with a towel long enough for it to stop dripping.

“You clearly didn’t…”  Tsubasa remarked with a sigh, then Honoka gave her a puzzled look.

“This is how I always do it at home,” she replied with a head tilt of her own, then noticed Tsubasa’s slack-jawed expression.

“How are you not always sick?!”

Honoka was dragged by Tsubasa back into the bathroom and was forced to sit down in a chair as Tsubasa dried her hair with a hair dryer.

“It’s warm.”  Honoka said happily as she closed her eyes, as if she was in bliss.

“I know, you should try it again sometime.”  Tsubasa replied sarcastically, still in shock that her girlfriend wasn’t constantly bed-ridden.

Honoka wasn’t able to clearly hear her due to the loud hair dryer and looked up at Tsubasa who was standing behind her.

“What?” she asked Tsubasa to repeat it, but Tsubasa simply gave her a warm smile.

“Nothing!”  Tsubasa said loud enough so Honoka could hear, then kept happily drying her hair while Honoka hummed with joy.

……

After Honoka’s hair was actually dry, the two of them relaxed next to each other in Tsubasa’s bed. 

“…then Maki-chan got embarrassed and didn’t want to practice anymore.”  Honoka was happily telling Tsubasa stories about μ's, while Tsubasa watched her and listened with a kind expression.

“Ah, is this boring for you Tsubasa-chan?”  Honoka asked with worry as Tsubasa hadn’t replied in a while, but Tsubasa shook her head.

“No, it’s always interesting to hear about you all.  I was just happy listening, I wasn’t bored,” she explained quietly, and Honoka smiled.

“I love you, Tsubasa-chan.”  Honoka confessed the words as she looked into Tsubasa’s eyes, who was momentarily surprised.

“Where’d that come from?”  Tsubasa finally replied with a laugh, then Honoka laughed as well.

“I just felt like saying it!”

Tsubasa stared at her for a moment, then quickly rolled over to change her position, and was now straddled on top of Honoka with her hands placed on both sides around her as she leaned in close.

“I love you too.”

Tsubasa lowered herself after she said it and kissed Honoka.

Honoka wrapped her arms around Tsubasa as she leaned into the kiss, immediately accepting it.

It carried on for a while before Tsubasa met Honoka’s tongue with hers, and Honoka stopped for only a moment in surprise before she started to fight Tsubasa back for control.

The heated kiss continued for a few minutes, the two of them taking short breaths of air from time to time, then they slowly separated as they looked into each other’s eyes while they breathed heavily.

Without waiting a moment longer, Tsubasa started the kiss once more, the two of them lost in the moment.

After a minute or so, Tsubasa slowly reached her hand under Honoka’s shirt, then stopped on her stomach as Honoka broke the kiss as her eyes widened in surprise.

“T-T-Tsubasa-chan?!” she stammered in embarrassment, then Tsubasa looked at her seriously.

“Do you not want to?”

Honoka gulped due to nervousness, then slightly turned her head as she blushed.

“It’s not that I don’t want to…” she trailed off, but Tsubasa used her other hand to gently hold onto Honoka’s cheek and made her look back at her.

“Honoka…I’m going to be honest with you.”  Tsubasa had no hint of playfulness in her voice, and Honoka patiently listened despite the nervousness.

“I’m really in love with you, so I can’t help myself.  I want to go further.  If that’s not okay, you need to clearly tell me.”  Tsubasa admitted to her, unwilling to keep going if Honoka wouldn’t be clear what she wanted or didn’t want.

Honoka looked at her with a deep blush.  This was her first relationship, so she wasn’t sure what to do, so she always took things carefully.  However, she’s also wanted to be closer to Tsubasa, but was scared of those feelings.  She decided that she couldn’t be scared forever.  If it was with Tsubasa, it would be okay.

“I’m okay with it.”  Honoka answered her seriously as both of them blushed.

After that, they both relaxed and decided to be honest with their feelings.  Their relationship started off difficult with Honoka’s reaction to Tsubasa’s confession, but it steadily reached this point.

They both spent a long time together before falling asleep.

……

They had a hard time looking each other in the eyes in the morning, but eventually calmed down while eating breakfast.  They walked together to their typical mid-point, then separated with a quick kiss to head to each of their idol groups for practice.

* * *

“You look happier than normal.” Erena noticed Tsubasa’s blissful mood during practice, and Anju picked up on it as well.

“Did something good happen?” Anju asked playfully with the intention to tease Tsubasa, but they were both surprised when Tsubasa smiled happily in response.

“Yeah, something did,” she said with a laugh, then Erena and Anju practically jumped on her for answers.

Despite the two’s insistent investigation, Tsubasa refused to tell them what happened with a smirk on her face, and the other two started to come up with their own theories.

* * *

The eight other members of μ's picked up on how overjoyed their leader was and attempted to ask about it, but Honoka told them not to worry about it with a smile and a slight blush on her cheeks.  They wanted to press her for answers but decided against it and just focused on practice for the time being.

They arrived at the shrine at the end of their practice session, and all of them collected their breath.  When they first started the improved A-RISE schedule, it was manageable, but they were still exhausted at the end of it.  Now, they were still tired, but still had plenty of energy to spare.  With another week they would surely be able to do the original practice schedule given to them by A-RISE.

As they were about to leave the shrine to head back to their clubroom, Honoka stopped them.

“Wait, let’s look around a little bit!”

The group looked at their leader with confusion.

“Look around?  For what?” Umi asked her, and Honoka thought to Tsubasa’s words for a moment before smiling happily.

“I don’t know!  But I think we might find something that will help us come up with our catchphrase!” she enthusiastically said, then immediately ran back towards the shrine grounds as the group stared on in surprise.

“Honoka…” Eli sighed, but Nozomi gently patted her on the back as she smiled.

“It might be fun.”  Nozomi said happily, then the rest of the group showed a small smile at their leader’s selfish request.

“We may as well.”  Maki said with a sigh, then the group all agreed and quickly split up to search for anything that may inspire them.

After a short time, Honoka loudly shouted for the group to come over to her.

They noticed the board by the temple that had a large amount of ema hanging from it.

Their eyes glanced from ema to ema with curiosity, reading all of the wishes people made for New Year’s.  They then all slowly started to notice that there were more than a few wishes about μ's.

They all read them happily, then Honoka spoke up with a smile.

“This is it.  Everyone’s wishes right here.  This is μ's.”

The group thought about what she said with surprise, but all relaxed as their thoughts united as one, and they all silently agreed.

Without any more words they all started to race back to the clubroom with the same intentions.

* * *

After A-RISE’s practice session, they stopped by the area where the Love Live preliminary finals were held to see the list of groups participating in the finals.

“Do you think they came up with one?” Anju asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

“I’m sure they did.” Erena quickly said calmly, then the screen displayed on the building slowly started to scroll down the groups, then eventually came down to μ's.

The members of A-RISE smiled gently when they read it, then turned around to walk back home after they were satisfied.

No. 11 - μ's

‘The Story We All Realize.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone.
> 
> I hope you all end up enjoying this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> As always, thank you for your continued support! I hope I'll be able to keep writing a story that you all enjoy.


	16. Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

Two weeks had passed since A-RISE designed an easier practice schedule for μ's, and μ's had now graduated to the original schedule.  Their first day of it was rough and tiring, but they were able to complete it without any issues.  The group was satisfied with their progress and decided to cancel practice for the next day.  However, one member of μ's was clueless as to the real reason they cancelled practice that day.

It was now January 16th, the day before Hanayo’s birthday. 

Before today, the rest of the group had approached Rin to find out what Hanayo liked.  They realized they didn’t know too much about Hanayo’s interests outside of school idols, so they needed ideas.  Sadly, they only learned from Rin that Hanayo loves to eat anything and is also interested in drawing and origami.

With this limited knowledge, Honoka’s group headed out into town to search for anything they could find as a gift for Hanayo.

Originally, Honoka’s group only consisted of Honoka, Kotori and Umi, but it has now somehow grown to be six people.

“Todo-san, do you-“ Umi started to strike up a conversation, but cut herself off when Anju held out her open palm, stopping her.

“We told you not to do that, right?”  Anju smiled, then brought her hands together behind her back as they walked.

Erena nodded as she glanced towards Umi.

“We’re not strangers anymore,” she said in a calm voice, and Umi sighed as she readied herself.

“Yes, Erena,” she answered quietly, then Honoka and Kotori gave her a smile.

“Erena, do you have any ideas?”  Umi asked as a shot in the dark, as everyone else had already said they didn’t know what to get for Hanayo as a gift.

“Hmm…so she likes idols, art, origami, and she takes care of those alpacas at your school, right?  Honestly, I’m not sure either…” Erena thought about it but couldn’t come up with an answer.  It seemed like such a random array of interests.

“Wouldn’t she be happy if you all just threw a party for her?”  Tsubasa asked as she raised a brow, but Honoka shook her head with a soft smile.

“She would be happy with just that, but I want to get gifts and do something special anyway.  It only comes once a year after all.”  Honoka replied energetically, then Kotori softly grabbed her hand.

“Honoka-chan’s right, we need to make it special!”  Kotori smiled, and Honoka quickly nodded in agreement.

“I agree.  It wouldn’t be μ's if we didn’t do more than we needed to.”  Umi chimed in, and the three of them nodded at each other with smiles.

Meanwhile, for the A-RISE camp…

“Wow, you really guessed wrong.”  Anju said to Tsubasa with a disappointed expression, but she had a playful tone in her voice.

“Ah, you probably made them sad.”  Erena decided to join in on Anju’s teasing, and Tsubasa looked shocked.

“I-I didn’t mean…” Tsubasa started to explain herself, but Honoka quickly hugged her.

“Tsubasa-chan was trying to cheer us up because we were worried about Hanayo-chan’s gift!”  Honoka defended her, and Kotori and Umi looked at the sudden display of affection with a light blush, while Anju and Erena were used to it by now.

“We were just messing with Tsubasa, Kira-san.”  Anju said teasingly with a smirk, and Erena laughed quietly.

“That’s right, we weren’t trying to make Tsubasa feel bad, Kira-san.” 

Honoka looked puzzled at the way Erena and Anju phrased their sentences.  Kotori and Umi quickly realized it, while Tsubasa was smirking.

“Congratulations, Honoka-chan.”  Kotori innocently wished her the best, and Honoka turned her gaze over to her.

“Ehh?  What do you mean?” she asked quickly, while Erena and Anju giggled.

“Well I wanted Kousaka, but if that’s what we’re doing I’m fine with it.”  Tsubasa accepted it, and Honoka kept turning her head as different members offered their own input.

“Hey, what are you guys talking about?  Let me in on it too!”  Honoka demanded answers excitedly, but the rest of them kept their secret safe.

……

The group walked through the mall for a while as they checked the stores for anything interesting.  They stopped by an art shop and all pooled in some money to purchase some semi-expensive art supplies, but they had to purchase multiple sets as they weren’t sure what kind of drawing Hanayo liked to do.

They were still a little unsatisfied, and eventually stopped by an idol shop to see if there was anything interesting.

“Wow, there’s a lot of μ's stuff here…” Honoka looked around the shop in amazement, then crouched down next to a rack that had buttons of various μ's members.

“Well, we have been getting more popular lately…” Umi said with a sigh as she looked at all of the merchandise.  It was still embarrassing for her to think about the fact that people may purchase merchandise of her specifically.

Tsubasa watched them with a smile, then glanced over to the cashier counter and noticed a red-head with a large poster in her hands.

After the money was exchanged and the cashier bowed in thanks, Anju walked back over to the group happily.

“Hm?  What’s that, Anju-chan?”  Honoka was immediately interested, and Anju giggled.

“Want to see?”

“Mhm!”  Honoka nodded her head in excitement, but the tone in Anju’s voice worried Tsubasa.

Anju quickly unrolled the poster to show a full portrait of Honoka in the outfit she wore for ‘Snow Halation.’

Honoka froze in shock.

“Honoka-chan, you look so cute in that outfit!”  Kotori looked at it with amazement, while Umi sighed.

“You’re the one who made it, Kotori…”

“Anju, what are you thinking?”  Erena asked with amusement, and Anju just smiled.

Tsubasa walked towards her and quickly grabbed the poster, then rolled it back up neatly.

“Confiscated,” she said calmly with a wink, while Anju pouted.

* * *

The next day, Hanayo decided to stop by the alpaca pen before going to practice.  After she deposited their food, she leaned against the pin as she watched them with a smile.

“Hey, did you two know?  Today’s my birthday,” she started to talk to them quietly, and the male alpaca looked at her for a moment before continuing to eat.

“Mom and Dad told me happy birthday, and Rin-chan’s going to come by later to celebrate it with us, but I’m still a little sad,” she talked to them as the faces of all the μ's members popped in her head, and she wished she would’ve told them in advance when her birthday was instead of being shy and keeping it a secret.

She gently pet both of them, then turned around to head to practice with a small smile on her face.

......

Hanayo arrived at their clubroom at the normal time, but then got confused when she saw it was empty.

“Eh?  I thought we had practice today…” she said quietly, then looked around and finally spotted a note on the table.

She slowly walked over to it, then gently grabbed the paper to read it.

 

_We started practice early today, so just come up to the rooftop when you get here, Hanayo-chan!_

_-Honoka_

 

She looked quizzically at the note for a moment, then quickly started to run towards the rooftop so she didn’t miss out on practice.

* * *

“Sorry I’m la-“ Hanayo opened the door to the rooftop while apologizing, but was stunned into silence as the eleven other people there immediately pulled the string on their party poppers, shooting confetti at Hanayo.

“Happy birthday!”  They all greeted her in unison with bright smiles on their faces.

Hanayo stared at them in surprise, then tears started to form in her eyes.  Rin then stepped forward.

“Happy birthday, Kayo-chin,” she repeated it, then held out her arms.

Hanayo instantly ran into Rin’s arms as she cried with joy.

“Thank you…everyone, thank you so much!”

……

After Hanayo stopped crying, the twelve of them headed back down to the clubroom to celebrate it properly.

After they all ate the cake that Honoka made, they sat down and talked for a bit.

“Come to think of it, we’ve been hanging out with A-RISE pretty often recently…”  Eli remarked casually, and Anju jumped on it.

“Well, we’re your biggest fans after all!” she said happily, and Nico gasped in shock as Maki closed her eyes and shrugged.

“It’s because of our leaders.”

The rest of the group looked at Honoka and Tsubasa who were sitting next to each other, and both of them gave a blank look in response.

“It’s true it’s because of them we started to talk more, but I believe we’re friends now.”  Erena smiled as she said it and Anju nodded excitedly.

“I think so too.”  Nozomi replied happily, and the rest of the group all smiled.

“Ah, almost forgot!”  Anju said suddenly, then the rest of the group looked at her curiously.

“Hanayo-chan, here you go. This is from all of us.”  Anju passed over the multiple bags of art supplies to Hanayo, who looked at them in awe, then looked back at Anju in surprise.

“How did you know…?” she started, but then followed Anju’s gaze and noticed Rin showing a bashful smile.

Hanayo laughed happily, then looked back at the others.

“Thank you!”

It was then that a twin-tailed girl approached Hanayo from behind.

“…here.”

Hanayo turned around to the source of the voice and saw an embarrassed Nico holding a box with both of her hands.

Hanayo’s eyes widened and she panicked in surprise as she brought her hands to the box but didn’t want to touch it as it felt sacred.

“Nico-senpai, is this…?!”

Nico turned her head away in embarrassment.

“Well, it looked like you really wanted one when you first came here, so…”

Hanayo started to cry again, then quickly took the box in her hands and held it close to her chest.

“Thank you so much!”

……

After the rest of the group gave their gifts and talked a bit longer, they asked if Hanayo had anything she wanted to do.  Without any hesitation, she told them that she wanted to watch Nico’s gift with the rest of them.

The group watched ‘The Legend of Legendary Idols’ DVD box set in the clubroom with amazement, then they all decided to head home for the day.

Maki and Rin walked home with Hanayo to help her carry the gifts she received, and the rest of them split up eventually, and now it was just Honoka and Tsubasa.

They walked happily hand-in-hand as they talked about the DVD set, then Tsubasa’s phone suddenly went off as she received a message.

Curious, she immediately pulled it out to read it, then widened her eyes.

 

_Mom (6:23 P.M.): We’re coming home tomorrow!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading my story and supporting me, I really appreciate it a lot!
> 
> Next chapter we'll get to meet Tsubasa's parents and see what kind of people they are.
> 
> Please continue to look forward to future chapters!


	17. Family Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

The morning after Hanayo’s birthday, Tsubasa was waiting inside her living room for her parents to arrive.

They only told her one day in advance this time, so she had to unfortunately cancel A-RISE’s practice for the third day in the row.  It wasn’t as if they had to prepare themselves for Love Live, but ever since they decided they wanted to keep performing, they knew that they had to keep themselves in top condition.

As Tsubasa pulled out her phone to send a message, the doorbell to her house rang.  Confused, she walked to the door and peered through the peephole. 

Outside stood a woman who looked exactly like Tsubasa but was taller with longer hair, and next to her was a tall, built man with short brown hair and emerald eyes.  Tsubasa hurriedly opened the door when she recognized them.

“You gu-“ she started to say something to the pair, but was quickly wrapped in a bear hug by the male as she started to feel herself losing air.

“Tsu-ba-sa!” he said as he spun the girl in his arms despite her complaining, while the older female watched it with a kind smile.

“Let…me…go…” Tsubasa pleaded for her life as she started to get dizzy, then was finally set down on the ground while the man laughed.  She looked toward them both as she sighed.

These two were Tsubasa’s parents.  The man who was howling with laughter was her father, a care-free spirit with a childlike sense of adventure in him.  The woman who was watching the situation patiently was her mother, a woman who always looked happy and was more than willing to follow her husband on adventures.

Now who did Tsubasa take after?

Neither of them.

“You two have a key, right?  Why did you ring the doorbell?”  Tsubasa asked with confusion, and her mother looked to her with a tilt of the head.

“We lost it?” she phrased it as a question for some reason, and Tsubasa looked shocked.

“That’s the fifth one!”

The father immediately stepped forward, placing himself between Tsubasa and his wife as he spread his arms to guard her.

“Tsubasa, don’t blame your mother.  You see, the reason we actually lost the key was…” her father started to explain with a serious tone, and Tsubasa looked at him patiently.

After he pondered it for a few moments longer, he suddenly gave a thumbs up.

“It was me!” he shouted proudly, and Tsubasa’s mother started clapping.

Tsubasa sighed once more with exasperation.

“That’s not any better!"

……

After Tsubasa’s parents dropped off their luggage in their room, the three of them sat under the kotatsu, while Tsubasa drank coffee and her parents had hot cocoa.

“Being back in Japan really is the best…” her mother murmured happily and took another sip.

“I know, right?” her father agreed happily and took another sip.

Tsubasa just stared at the carefree pair.

They were her parents, but if a stranger were to look at all of their personalities only, then they wouldn’t think so. 

The two of them had to travel for work a lot, so recently there haven’t been many chances for them all to meet.

“Tsubasa, you should come with us next time!  You guys don’t have to go to the Love Live finals, right?” her father suggested with a smile, and Tsubasa raised a brow.

“How did you know we lost?” she tilted her head a bit, and her mother pointed to the laptop that was next to her.

“We’re always up to date with A-RISE!” her mother shouted proudly, and Tsubasa laughed quietly.

“You two know I’m still in school though.”

Her father and mother looked to each other with genuine surprise after Tsubasa’s words, and Tsubasa looked at them with disbelief.

“Wait, you really forgot?”

“Well, you’re really mature, so…” her father started to explain, and her mother nodded her head.

“Mhm!  Tsubasa is really cool and calm, so it kind of slipped our thoughts.” 

“That’s only compared to you two…” Tsubasa said quietly but smiled.

“Ah!  That’s right!  Do you have a boyfriend yet?” her mother asked innocently, while her father shook his head calmly.

“You ask that every time, you know the answer will never-“ her father started to reassure himself, but was cut off by Tsubasa.

“I do,” she said simply, and her father froze for a moment as he gripped his cup tightly.  After a few seconds, he took another sip as he laughed.

“Tsubasa, you know it’s not nice to play pranks on your father,” he said light-heartedly as he tried to convince himself.

“No, I really do.”  Tsubasa confessed it once more, and her mother started to clap her hands.

“Congratulations.”

Her father slammed the cup down, then stood up quickly as he stared down at Tsubasa with an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face.

“You said you would marry your father!” he shouted energetically as he was betrayed by his only daughter.

“I was five!” Tsubasa defended herself, then looked to her mother for support.

“I thought you’d stay with me for the rest of your life…” her mother playfully pouted as she helped Tsubasa, then acted as if she was going to cry.

Her father immediately panicked, then ran over to his wife and tried to console her.

“I will!  I swear I will!  Please believe me!”

Tsubasa laughed at her parents’ antics.

……

Later, after her father managed to convince her mother that he wouldn’t leave her, the three were still using the kotatsu, but her father was holding his head in his hands as he looked down to the table.

“Gone for such a short time and she gets a boyfriend…” her father muttered the words to himself, still in a state of shock as Tsubasa smirked.

“He’s really great, you’ll love him, I’m sure of it.” Tsubasa continued to refer to Honoka as a male to mess with her father.

“Like hell I will!” her father immediately replied with vigor, and her mother reached out to hold his hand gently.

“Dear, if Tsubasa says he’s fine, then he’s probably a really good boy,” she tried to comfort him, but he wasn’t having it.

“I don’t care how good he is, if he can’t beat me in a fight then he can’t have my daughter!” he challenged the non-existent boyfriend, and his wife shook her head.

“You’ve never fought anyone…”

Tsubasa had to stifle another laugh.  This was fun.

Suddenly, her father stood up with new-found energy.

“I need to meet him,” he demanded with an intense gaze, and Tsubasa looked at him with disbelief.

“You know it’s late, right?”

“A real man will come even at this hour!” he insisted on meeting the boyfriend, and Tsubasa smiled softly as she pulled out her phone.

“I’ll try, but no promises.”

* * *

Honoka was happily watching videos of school idols with Yukiho when her phone suddenly went off.  She reached towards the nearby table, then tapped the phone’s home button to see the message she received.

 

_Tsubasa (8:32 P.M.): Can you come over?_

 

Honoka looked at the message with confusion.  It was already late, so what could Tsubasa want from her?  She hadn’t borrowed anything from her that she needed to return, and she was pretty positive that she didn’t leave anything important at her house.

As she thought about the question a bit more, she suddenly recalled the events of that night not too long ago.  When the two of them decided to take the next step in their relationship.

She instantly blushed deeply, and almost dropped her phone in surprise while Yukiho looked at her, worried.

“Onee-chan, what’s wrong?” she asked with concern, and Honoka turned in her direction with panic.

“Eh?!  Nothing’s wrong!  Nothing at all, I’m totally fine!” Honoka said loudly and gave her a thumbs up, but fooled no one.

“Are you okay Onee-chan?” Yukiho asked as she leaned close to Honoka, then brought the back of her hand to Honoka’s forehead to check for a fever.

When Honoka saw Yukiho that close to her, her mind instantly swapped the image of her sister with Tsubasa instead, then Honoka backed away in a hurry.

“I’m totally fine!” she tried to convince herself enthusiastically, then quickly stood up and grabbed her phone as she left the room.

Yukiho tilted her head in confusion as she watched her sister run away from the situation.

……

She was panicked and worried, but her legs took her here anyway.  She stood in front of the door to Tsubasa’s house as her heart started to beat fast, and her head was filled with thoughts that she would never confess to anyone.

Honoka repeatedly took death breaths, then released them as she readied herself for whatever Tsubasa had in store for her.  She wasn’t sure if they’d be doing the same thing they did that night, or if Tsubasa would want to somehow go further than what they did.

Honoka was incredibly flustered as she shook her head, desperately trying to get the thoughts out. 

She sighed quietly.  If she was wrong about what Tsubasa wanted, then she could just easily apologize, and it would be all over with.  If she was right, however…

Resolved, Honoka reached her hand out and rang the doorbell.

The door instantly swung open, and a tall, built man stood in the doorway with an intense gaze and a menacing aura.

Honoka widened her eyes in shock as she was scared, then quickly turned around.

“I-I-I must have the wrong house, sorry!” she apologized loudly as she started to walk away, but the man called out to her.

“Oh!  You must be one of Tsubasa’s friends!”

Honoka slowly turned back around to the dangerous presence when she heard Tsubasa’s name, but then looked surprise as the man seemed drastically different from what she just saw.

Now, he seemed like an average person as he waved for her to come inside.

A lightbulb in Honoka’s head instantly lit up as she recalled what Tsubasa told her last night about her parents returning.

“Are you Tsubasa-chan’s father?” Honoka asked to make sure as she walked back to the door, and the man nodded happily.

“Yup!  And you are?” he asked, but before Honoka could open her mouth to respond he quickly brought his closed fist to his open palm, as if he suddenly recalled something.

“You’re Kousaka-san!”

“Huh…?  You…know who I am?” she asked as she looked at him with confusion, and he nodded enthusiastically.

“Of course!  You’re the leader of μ's,” he responded confidently with a smile, and then an almost-perfect copy of Tsubasa approached from behind the man.

Honoka stared at her in awe while blushing.  She looked exactly like Tsubasa, but a little older, taller and had longer hair. 

“You’re right, it is Kousaka-san,” she said in surprise, then smiled gently at Honoka.

Honoka quickly ran up to her, then softly grabbed her hands in hers as the man looked at them in shock, unable to believe his wife was being stolen from him.

“Are you Tsubasa-chan’s sister?!”  Honoka asked her excitedly, and the woman giggled quietly as she softly gripped Honoka’s hands back.

“You’re too nice.  I’m her mother.  Also, you’ve already met her father,” she said as she glanced over to the man who had been betrayed for the second time today.

Honoka looked at them with a smile, then suddenly removed her hands from Tsubasa’s mother’s and blushed as she remembered something she had to do.

She stood back a bit, then bowed politely to the two.

“It’s nice to meet you!” she greeted them respectfully, and both of them showed a small smile as they watched.

Tsubasa approached from behind them, then happily looked at Honoka.

“You should come inside, it’s cold out there,” she suggested, then reached out her hand and grabbed Honoka’s and pulled her inside the house.

As the four of them walked toward the living room, Tsubasa’s mother nudged Tsubasa with her shoulder.

“Is she the one?” she whispered excitedly, and Tsubasa smiled brightly as she leaned in close to her mother and whispered back.

“Mhm, that’s her.”

Tsubasa and her mother giggled happily, while Tsubasa’s father and Honoka looked at them with confusion, unable to hear what they were whispering.

After they walked inside and sat down next to the kotatsu, Tsubasa’s father breathed a sigh of relief.

“I thought you’d be the boyfriend, but I guess he never showed up after all.  He was probably too scared of me,” he said with a grin as he imagined his victory over the imaginary boyfriend, and Honoka looked at him, puzzled.

“Boyfriend?”

“Yeah!  Tsubasa told us she got a boyfriend while we were gone, but I guess she was probably messing with me after all,” he laughed, then Tsubasa and her mother tilted their heads.

“What do you mean, dear?” her mother asked innocently, and Tsubasa continued.

“That is the boyfriend,” Tsubasa finished the sentence with a smirk.

Tsubasa’s father looked at them with surprise for a moment, then quickly looked back to Honoka, who was looking confused herself.

“Huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> Apologies for the slower releases, I've been a bit busy lately.
> 
> Tsubasa's parents have no mention anywhere in the anime or the game, so both of their personalities are basically my own characters. I hope you're all able to enjoy them, and if not, this is still a majorly TsubaHono story after all.
> 
> Thank you all for reading as always! I can only manage to keep writing chapters because all of you read them!


	18. Bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

“That is the boyfriend.”

The words resounded in Tsubasa’s father’s head as he stared intensely at Honoka, who was panicking next to him.

He brought his hand to his chin as he started to walk slowly around as he inspected Honoka.

Tsubasa and her mother watched the scene with amusement, while Honoka still hadn’t caught on to the whole boyfriend thing.

After a few more moments, the father folded his arms, still not entirely convinced.

“You don’t look much like a man to me,” he said with a serious tone, then Tsubasa laughed as Honoka quickly shook her head with a blush.

“I’m a girl!” she desperately tried to clear up the misunderstanding as she looked up to Tsubasa’s father’s intense gaze.

He looked at her suspiciously for a bit longer, then turned his head to the two women watching the situation patiently.

“I thought you said this was the boyfriend?”

“No dear, she said girlfriend.” Tsubasa’s mother lied so she could mess with her husband, and Tsubasa nodded.

“Honoka is my girlfriend, that’s what we’ve been trying to tell you.” Tsubasa went along with it and lied as well.

The father stared at the pair as he started to doubt his memory, but then looked back toward Honoka’s direction as he heard something hit the ground.

The three of them looked at Honoka in surprise as she was bowing on the ground.

“My name is Kousaka Honoka!  I’m a second-year student at Otonokizaka High School, and I’m in a school idol group called µ's!”

Tsubasa and her mother smiled softly as Honoka started to introduce herself properly, while Tsubasa’s father was waiting expectantly.

Honoka took in a deep breath, then finished her introduction.

“I’m also in a relationship with Tsubasa-chan!  I love her very much, so please take care of me!” she confessed with no trace of nervousness or doubt in her voice, then Tsubasa’s mother stood up and approached Honoka.

She crouched down in front of Honoka, which made her look up from the ground.

Honoka was met with a happy expression.

“Thank you for taking care of Tsubasa, Honoka-chan.” Tsubasa’s mother said as she reached out a hand, then gently started to pat Honoka’s head. 

“Uhm…” Tsubasa’s father trailed off as he tried to find the right words to respond with, then watched as his wife grabbed Honoka in a protective hug and look toward him with caution.

“W-Wait, I’m not a bad guy!” he explained while panicking as his wife had already chosen a side.

Tsubasa tilted her head a bit, then smirked.

“Come to think of it, didn’t you say they’d have to beat you in a fight first?” she asked jokingly, but her father’s eyes lit up.

“That’s right!”

Tsubasa’s father quickly stood up straight, then took a fighting stance as he motioned for Honoka to come at him.

“U-Uhm, I don’t think…” Honoka nervously laughed as she tried to talk her way out of the situation, but the father pressed on.

“Come on!” he continued to pressure Honoka into fighting him, but Tsubasa and her mother grabbed one of Honoka’s arms each and they started to drag her away.

“Don’t worry about him, Honoka-chan.” Tsubasa’s mother assured her with a smile and Tsubasa sighed quietly.

“He’s pretty fun to be around, but he can get carried away a bit.”

Tsubasa’s father listened in on the conversation with shock, unable to believe that his family left his side instantly.

……

After a few more minutes of back and forth talking, Tsubasa’s father managed to convince Honoka to at least walk with him for a bit.

Honoka was waiting outside as she rubbed her hands together for a little warmth, then she turned her head toward the entrance as the door opened.

Tsubasa’s father stepped outside, now wearing a coat, and he had a small white stick in his lips.

Honoka eyed it for a moment before she came to the conclusion that it was a cigarette. 

Well, that’s one more thing she managed to learn about Tsubasa’s family.  She smiled a little bit.

“Sorry for the wait.”  Tsubasa’s father apologized, then motioned for Honoka to follow him as he started to walk.

Honoka quickly caught up to him, then snuck a glance at his face as they walked side by side.

She was a bit nervous, as she very rarely talked to any men aside from her father.  Now she was alone with one as they walked in the moonlight.

"Um…where are we going?”  Honoka asked curiously to break the silence, but the man shook his head.

“Nowhere in particular.  Just walking around a bit,” he explained as he kept his eyes in front of him, and Honoka nodded slowly.

The conversation turned silent again.  She wasn’t sure what he wanted with her, but it made her nervous that they weren’t talking.

However, he started the conversation this time.

“So Kousaka-san, how do you feel about Tsubasa?” he asked as he glanced in her direction, monitoring her reaction.

“I love her!  I love her very much!”  Honoka quickly responded as Tsubasa’s father finally started to talk, and she smiled.

“Me too!” Tsubasa’s father suddenly agreed excitedly, then froze for a moment as he cleared his throat.  His ‘tough father’ imitation was starting to slip away.

“What do you love about her, then?” he picked up where he left off after he recomposed himself.

Honoka paused for a moment after the question was asked.  Tsubasa’s father stopped walking as well as he waited for her answer.

She thought about it for a long moment, then bashfully smiled.

“I don’t really know!”

Tsubasa’s father raised a brow in confusion, then started to walk again.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked with a hint of worry in his voice, and Honoka quickly caught back up to him, then looked down to the ground as she started to recall the events.

“I don’t really know.  When I first met A-RISE and Tsubasa-chan, I just thought she was as charming in person as she was in the videos.  But…we started to spend more time together, and then I realized I was in love with her.” Honoka laughed quietly, and Tsubasa’s father thought about it for a moment before replying.

“I know what you mean.  It was the same for me with her mother.  But…” he trailed off, then looked at Honoka.

“You can do better than that!  Come on, tell me what you like about her!” he said it energetically with a small smile, and Honoka started to panic as she was being tested.

“U-Uhm…she’s very sweet!”

“Yup, that’s right,” he quickly nodded his head in agreement.

“She’s also very mature and patient!  She works hard!  And she teases me a lot, but she cares about me!” Honoka continued to search for exact reasons about what made Tsubasa so amazing to her but was having a hard time.

“Yeah, that’s my daughter all right,” he continued to enthusiastically agree with what Honoka was saying, and he felt proud for some reason.

“And uhm…she…hmm…” Honoka trailed off as she desperately searched, but she was cut off as Tsubasa’s father laughed quietly.

“Sorry, just wanted to mess around a bit.  You don’t need a reason to love someone, you know,” he assured her with a kind expression, and Honoka finally relaxed.

The two of them talked about Tsubasa more as they walked.  He told her about how Tsubasa acted when she was growing up, and Honoka told him about how passionate Tsubasa was about being a school idol, and how Love Live was going.

They bonded for a bit longer, but the thing that was on Honoka’s mind from the start suddenly bugged her enough to ask about it.

“Uhm…you don’t have to be polite for my sake and stop yourself from smoking,” she told him with a smile as she felt a bit guilty about it, but he looked at her, confused.

“Huh?  Smoking?  What are you talking about?” he was genuinely puzzled at what Honoka said.

“E-Eh?  That right there…” Honoka trailed off as she pointed toward the white stick between his lips.

His eyes followed where her finger was pointing, then he laughed.

“Ah, this?” he asked with a smile as he brought his hand to his mouth, then pulled out the stick to reveal a small candy lollipop.

Honoka stared at it with a mix of shock and disbelief.

……

After their talk, Honoka and Tsubasa’s father returned to the house.  Honoka was welcomed with open arms, while Tsubasa and her mother eyed her father suspiciously, jokingly wondering if he ended up fighting Honoka or not.  He fervently tried to clear up the misunderstanding and insisted that it was just a normal talk. 

Later, Tsubasa’s mother went to the kitchen to prepare a light, late dinner as they didn’t expect they would arrive at the house this late into the night.

Honoka insisted on helping Tsubasa’s mother cook, and now they stood side by side in the kitchen while Honoka watched her in awe.

“You’re really amazing…” Honoka sincerely complimented her, and the mother smiled gently in response.

“You think?  I bet Tsubasa likes your cooking more,” she said warmly as Honoka blushed with embarrassment. 

Honoka looked back toward Tsubasa for a moment, then turned back to Tsubasa’s mother.

“How did you know I cook for her?” she asked with a whisper, and Tsubasa's mother glanced back at Tsubasa for a second as well.

“She told me how much she looks forward to your cooking.  She also told me not to tell you about it, so keep this a secret, okay?” she looked back to Honoka with a kind expression, then focused on cooking again.

Honoka played the words in her head over and over, then smiled gently.

“You really are good at this, though…” Honoka murmured in admiration, and Tsubasa’s mother laughed quietly.

“Well, let me teach you some things while we’re here, and then you’ll be able to surprise her,” she said quietly as she glanced back to Tsubasa again, and Honoka smiled happily.

“Please teach me!” she responded enthusiastically.

……

After the four of them ate the late dinner, they decided it was best to go to sleep for tonight. 

It took quite a while for Honoka to be able to slip away, as Tsubasa’s parents had become attached to her.  They eventually wished her goodbye though and told her that it was okay for her to come back anytime she wished.

When Honoka finally came back home, all of the lights were off and everybody else in the house was asleep. 

She carefully walked her way upstairs to her room in the dark, then sat on her bed as she pulled out her phone and started to write some notes.

Tsubasa’s father said that people don’t need a reason to love someone, and that was true, but she still wanted to write down everything about Tsubasa that she loved.

…

The list was starting to get a little too long when she suddenly received a message.  Curious, she opened it to look.

 

_Tsubasa (11:21 P.M.): Come outside._

Puzzled, she walked toward her window, then opened it to look outside.

Tsubasa was waving at her with a smirk.

Honoka rushed downstairs as quietly as she could, then opened the entrance door, and Tsubasa quickly walked inside and hugged Honoka.

“T-Tsubasa-chan?” she was surprised at the sudden contact and looked to Tsubasa, but she just smiled.

Honoka escaped from the hug, then lightly gripped Tsubasa’s hand and led her up the stairs so they wouldn’t make too much noise near the entrance and wake somebody up.

After they went inside Honoka’s room and closed the door behind them, they both sat on the bed, facing each other.

“Tsubasa-chan, what are you doing here?” she asked, confused, and Tsubasa blushed lightly.

“Well, my parents are home, so we can’t do it there…” she trailed off as she fidgeted a bit, uncharacteristically embarrassed.

“Huh?  Do what?” Honoka wasn’t understanding it at first, but when she looked at Tsubasa’s embarrassed mannerisms and her blush as she averted her eyes a bit, she finally understood.

“…you came all the way here for that…?” Honoka quietly asked as she started to blush deeply, and Tsubasa slowly nodded.

“We can’t?” Tsubasa asked as she looked into Honoka’s eyes, and Honoka couldn’t find it in herself to say no.

The two of them enjoyed each other’s company for a while before they finally decided to fall asleep.

……

Honoka and Tsubasa had to meekly apologize to Tsubasa’s parents for Tsubasa spending the night, then her parents decided to let it go.

Honoka visited the Tsubasa household almost every day after idol practice for two weeks, and she happily learned how to cook better from Tsubasa's mother, and the four of them sometimes went out to various spots around Tokyo together.

After those two weeks, Tsubasa’s parents had to leave again for their business.  They didn’t seem to mind it however, and they simply said that visiting other places was really fun.

They promised to take Tsubasa and Honoka on a trip next time they were all free, then they left.

The month after New Year’s came to its eventual end, and now there were only two months before the Love Live finals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> With this chapter's end, we're slowly approaching the Love Live finals. Soon enough we'll be able to see what's in store for Tsubasa and Honoka.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading my story, I really appreciate it!


	19. Honoka's Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

Two days after Tsubasa’s parents left, Honoka was waiting outside of UTX High School for A-RISE’s practice session to end. 

She contacted them beforehand, but she wasn’t told exactly how long their practice sessions went on for.

Honoka made sure this time that she wouldn’t be recognized by UTX’s students, as she wore a hoodie with the hood up and a surgeon’s mask.

She sighed softly as she felt a bit ridiculous in the get-up, but when the image of Nico in her various disguises before she joined µ's popped in her head, she smiled softly.

A little worried, she pulled out her phone to re-read the messages she sent yesterday to make sure that they actually agreed to meet here today.

 

Honoka (7:14 P.M.): Can I talk to you two about Tsubasa-chan?

Erena (7:27 P.M.): Who is this?

Honoka (7:28 P.M.): Sorry, I forgot!  This is Honoka, Tsubasa-chan gave me your numbers a few days ago.

Anju (7:29 P.M.): Now we can secretly talk about Tsubasa’s secrets.

Anju (7:29 P.M.): Also, what about Tsubasa?

Honoka (7:30 P.M.): I was hoping you two could give me some advice about something!

Anju (7:30 P.M.): Already out of bedroom ideas?

Honoka (7:31 P.M.): Huh?

Erena (7:31 P.M.): Let’s just talk about this later, can you come to UTX tomorrow after practice?

 

After that, they talked about the details a bit more and now Honoka was here.

They did agree to meet her here, but where were they?

* * *

Tsubasa wiped away her sweat with a towel after A-RISE’s practice session finished. 

A-RISE hadn’t yet announced that they would keep performing as an idol group even though they were all third-years, but all of their fans still believed that’s what they would do anyway.

They had already started to receive some emails from management companies, but they had yet to pick any of them.  They still had a few months of school left for them anyway for the time being, so they weren’t in a rush.

Tsubasa looked over to Erena and Anju, then raised a brow when she saw they were already standing up.

“Do we want to stop by anywhere on our way home?” Tsubasa asked as she quickly stood up as well, but Erena and Anju shook their heads.

“Sorry, we actually have somewhere to be.”  Anju apologized, then glanced to Erena, who nodded.

“We can’t be late either.”

Tsubasa tilted her head in confusion, not sure what Erena and Anju would have to suddenly do at this time.

“Hm?  Where are you two going?” she tried to get an answer out of them, but Anju suddenly stepped forward and looked at her curiously.

“Tsubasa, did you do anything wrong lately?” Anju held her hands on her own hips as she looked at Tsubasa, who was taken aback by the question.

“…anything wrong?  What do you mean?” Tsubasa was oblivious to whatever Anju was referring to, and Erena sighed happily.

“Anju, we’re going to be late,” she warned her with a small smile, and Anju quickly turned back toward Erena.

“Yup!  We really have to go now!  Bye-bye, Tsubasa!” Anju called back out to her as the two of them left the rooftop, and Tsubasa stood there in surprise.

* * *

“Honoka-chan!”

Honoka quickly looked toward the voice calling out to her, then saw Erena and Anju running toward her. 

“Ah!  Anju-chan, Erena-chan!”  Honoka called out to them excitedly with a wave.

When Erena and Anju reached Honoka, Anju immediately grabbed her hand and pulled her along with them as they kept running.

Honoka almost tipped when she suddenly went from standing still to sprinting without any preparation, then looked forward at the backs of Erena and Anju.

“Why are we running?!” Honoka was confused, then Anju slightly turned her head to look back at Honoka with a playful smile.

“We don’t want Tsubasa to know about this, right?” she said simply, then turned her head back to face forward as they ran.

……

After the three ran for a bit longer, they arrived at the nearby park as they all collected their breath.

“Running like that right after practice is tough…” Anju murmured with a tired sigh to go along with it, and Honoka bashfully smiled in response.

“Sorry to make you two do all this…”

They finished collecting themselves, then Erena stepped forward as she looked at Honoka with a slightly worried expression.

“So, what’s going on with you and Tsubasa?” she asked seriously, then Anju stepped forward as well.

“I know I told you that you could tell me when Tsubasa did something wrong, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon.” Anju said jokingly as she tried to lighten the mood a bit in case the problem was serious.

Honoka quickly shook her head.

“That’s not it!  Tsubasa-chan’s been amazing!  I was just wondering what to get her for a gift!” Honoka fervently explained the situation, not wanting Anju or Erena to have the wrong idea about their relationship.

Anju tilted her head.

“A gift?”

Honoka smiled a bit as she reached her hand up, then lightly gripped the heart shape on the silver pendant hanging around her neck.

“You see…”

……

Erena and Anju looked at Honoka with mild surprise when she finished talking.

“So basically, Tsubasa took you out on a date and bought you that necklace, and you’ve been wanting to repay her, but you’ve been busy with her parents visiting and practice?” Erena tried to sum up the situation, and Honoka nodded.

“Mhm!  She told me that I didn’t need to worry about it, but I still want to give her something.”  Honoka replied energetically.  It’s been on her mind ever since that day, and now she’s finally able to do something about it, but she had no ideas of what Tsubasa would want.

“How romantic…” Anju said quietly as she pretended to faint, but Erena caught her.

“I recommend giving up.” Erena told her frankly, and Honoka’s jaw dropped.

“W-What?  Why?” Honoka didn’t understand, and Anju quickly stood back up as she smiled softly, feeling a bit bad for Honoka.

“Well, she’s kind of rich for one, so you probably can’t buy her anything she’d want…” Anju trailed off as she imagined an unrealistic scene of Tsubasa diving into a gigantic pool of money.

Meanwhile, Honoka was looking at Anju with a blank stare, in disbelief.

“Rich?”

“Wait, you didn’t know?” Erena looked at Honoka with shock as she stepped closer.

“Eh…” Honoka looked at Erena with worry, and Anju stepped closer as well.

“Are you two really dating?” she asked teasingly, and Honoka blushed in embarrassment.

“Of course we are!” she defended their relationship, and Erena and Anju laughed quietly.

Just then, Honoka’s phone started to play a short ringtone, and she quickly grabbed it as she looked at the message.

 

Tsubasa (4:49 P.M.): Do you want to go somewhere?

 

Honoka glanced toward Erena and Anju in a slight panic.

“W-What do I say?!” she looked nervous as her eyes darted back and forth from the phone to Erena and Anju, and Anju giggled as Erena sighed light-heartedly.

“Isn’t she YOUR girlfriend?” Erena asked with a small smile, finding it amusing how Honoka didn’t know how to respond to a simple text from Tsubasa.

“Yes, but I can’t go with her, and I can’t tell her why!”  Honoka pleaded with her eyes, and Anju quickly reached her hand out and grabbed Honoka’s phone.

* * *

Tsubasa was pacing a bit in her room after she sent the message.  With her parents gone again, she was bored with nothing to do.  Erena and Anju declined her invitation without telling her why, so she was hoping she could spend some time with Honoka instead.

As she started to think about places she and Honoka hadn’t been to yet, her phone sounded to tell her she received a message.

She immediately brought her phone up and checked the message.

 

Honoka? (4:52 P.M.): Sorry, I have to do something else instead.

 

Tsubasa felt a little sad after she read the message, her hopes of spending time with Honoka crushed. 

She shrugged however, knowing that it couldn’t be helped sometimes.  She started to reply back.

 

Tsubasa (4:53 P.M.): That’s fine, what do you have to do?

Honoka? (4:53 P.M.): Secret~

 

Tsubasa raised an eyebrow at the message.  That wasn’t how Honoka usually typed.  In fact, it reminded her of a certain red-head.  Curious, she messaged back.

 

Tsubasa (4:54 P.M.): Why’s it a secret?

Honoka? (4:55 P.M.): It’s just a secret!

Tsubasa (4:55 P.M.): You can’t tell me no matter what?

Honoka? (4:55 P.M.): Nope!

 

* * *

Honoka and Erena were desperately trying to read what Anju was typing to Tsubasa, but Anju evaded them and kept the phone away from where their eyes could see.

Just then, the phone started to ring and vibrate.  Anju curiously looked at the name of the caller, then answered the phone as she quickly brought it close to Honoka’s ear.

“Ehh?!  H-Hello?” Honoka answered involuntarily after Anju forced the phone on her, then she froze a bit when she heard the voice.

‘ _Honoka?  Are you okay?’_  The voice seemed concerned, and Honoka smiled when she recognized it as Tsubasa’s.

“I’m fine, why?......what do you mean secret?” Honoka glanced back to Anju with confusion, and Anju playfully winked back at her.

After Honoka listened to Tsubasa for a bit longer, she pieced the information together.

“Ah!  Sorry, it’s a surprise…mhm…okay, bye-bye.” She sighed with exhaustion after the call ended, then walked back toward Anju who was nonchalantly talking with Erena.

“Anju-chan, you didn’t need to say it like that…” Honoka lightly complained, and Anju patted her back.

“It’s fine!  She didn’t find out, right?” she asked happily, and Honoka slowly shook her head.

“That’s good then.  Now let’s hurry and find a gift.”  Erena said simply, then Anju and Honoka nodded as they all started to walk in the direction of the major shopping center nearby.

……

After the three of them searched around for a bit and Honoka bought some gifts, Anju sighed quietly as she glanced at Honoka.

“I don’t see why we need to do this when you could just be the gift,” she said with a smirk, but Honoka looked at her, puzzled.

“What do you mean?”

Erena laughed quietly, and Anju leaned in close to Honoka with a mischievous expression.

“Well, you see…”

…

After Anju vividly described to Honoka all the ways that she could present herself as a gift for Tsubasa, Honoka had a deep blush on her face.

“I’m NOT doing that!  No way!  It wouldn’t be new either!” Honoka denied the possibility, full of embarrassment, but something she said made Erena stop.

“Wait.  What wouldn’t be new?”  Erena looked at Tsubasa with prying eyes, while Anju’s eyes widened as it clicked for her.

“Ah…uhm…” Honoka realized what she carelessly revealed, and now it was both Erena and Anju who leaned in close to Honoka’s face.

“Honoka-chan, did you…?” Anju whispered in a playful tone, while Honoka averted her eyes as she started to fidget.

“Uh…w-well…”

…

Honoka never fully admitted it, but Erena and Anju were able to realize just how far their relationship had progressed.

They decided to stop the teasing for now, as any more would just make Honoka faint on the spot.

……

The next day, as soon as A-RISE met in the clubroom, Tsubasa was telling Erena and Anju about her conversation with Honoka yesterday.

“That’s odd.” Erena responded a little too quickly, and Anju immediately nodded in response.

“Yup!  Very odd,” she chose the same words Erena did, and Tsubasa looked at them suspiciously.

“Do you two know something?” she asked inquisitively, and Erena and Anju looked at each other with worry, the both of them apparently terrible liars.

“No, not at all!” Anju insisted as she refused to look Tsubasa in the eyes, and Erena started to slowly walk toward the door to the clubroom.

“I don’t know anything, sorry,” she tried to say, but Tsubasa quickly chased after her.

……

Erena and Anju ended up not revealing anything, but Tsubasa was still suspicious so she ended up ending practice early and walked over to Otonokizaka.

She stood by the school gates with a shoddy disguise, then waved over Kotori and Umi as soon as she spotted them.

They jogged over and looked at Tsubasa with surprise.

“Tsubasa-san, what are you doing here?” Umi asked with confusion, but Kotori looked at her innocently.

“Are you looking for Honoka-chan?”

Tsubasa smiled a bit as she nodded.

“Do you two know where she is?” she asked hopeful, expecting to find Honoka leaving through the school gates after practice for μ's ended, but Umi and Kotori looked at each other with worry after her question.

“Honoka told us she had something to do, so we practiced without her.  I thought she’d be with you…” Umi said quietly, and Kotori stepped closer to Tsubasa.

“Is Honoka-chan in danger?” she asked with a slight shake to her voice, and Tsubasa quickly shook her head to ease their worries.

“I was just checking if she was here, I’m sure she’s fine.  I’ll have her message you two when I find her, okay?” Tsubasa assured them, then gave them a wave as she turned around and walked away from Otonokizaka.

…

After searching for a little bit and sending a message that didn’t get responded to, Tsubasa returned home and inserted her key, not noticing that it was already unlocked.

She entered the living room as her mind was filled with worries, but she froze in place when she saw what was waiting for her.

On top of the table, a few gifts were wrapped neatly and multiple bags of sweets were strewn about, but what most caught her interest was the person sitting next to it all.

Honoka was sitting down in a maid outfit with a present ribbon on top of her head as she greeted Tsubasa with a smile while blushing.

“What…is all this…?” Tsubasa was shocked, and Honoka stood up as she clutched her silver pendant.

…

“All of this…just because of that?” Tsubasa asked in disbelief after Honoka finished telling her why she was being secretive, and why all of this was now in her living room.  Honoka just laughed bashfully.

“What about that outfit?  And that ribbon?” Tsubasa asked as she started to smile, the disbelief from before wearing off.

“Uhm, well…Anju-chan said you would like it…” Honoka looked away from Tsubasa as she started to heavily blush, and Tsubasa silently thanked her red-head teammate.

Tsubasa wrapped her arms around Honoka and held her tightly, smiling brightly as she did so.

“You know, if this is waiting for me every time then I’ll just get you more gifts.”

Honoka immediately escaped Tsubasa’s arms.

“No way!” she complained as she thought about having to put on embarrassing outfits each time.

They both looked at each other for a short moment, then laughed quietly.


	20. Training Camp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

It was a month and a half until the Love Live finals took place.  All nine members of μ's were practicing just fine with their schedule, but Honoka decided that they needed a change of pace.

“Maki-chan’s house?” Nozomi asked after Honoka suddenly said they should spend a week at Maki’s place.

“Mhm!  Maki-chan’s family’s vacation house that we went to before!  It’s okay, right Maki-chan?!” Honoka asked enthusiastically as she looked toward Maki, who started to twirl a curl in her hair with her finger as she averted her eyes.

“W-Why now?  It’s probably being used already anyway…” Maki murmured, but Honoka moved closer to her and pleaded with her eyes.

Maki turned her gaze back to Honoka and blushed a tiny bit as she saw the passionate look.

“Looking at me like that won’t change anything…” she turned her head again as she started to crumble under the pressure, but now she was face-to-face with Rin who was doing the same thing as Honoka. 

Maki froze in surprise for a second, then tried to look straight up to avoid both of their puppy eyes but was unfortunately met with Nozomi staring down at her with a smile.

Maki quickly stood up as she started to get embarrassed from all of their attention, then turned to the door of the clubroom.

“Fine, I’ll ask!” she practically ran toward the door and exited as she pulled out her phone, and Honoka and Rin high-fived each other.

“She should be more honest with herself.” Nico remarked after Maki left, then she felt a chill run down her spine.  She slowly turned her head to see the other seven members of the group staring at her with disbelief.

“W-What?!” Nico suddenly became defensive due to the piercing gazes of her friends.

“Nico-chan does the same thing!” Kotori replied happily with a smile, not realizing the truth bomb she dropped on Nico.

“Do not!” Nico immediately complained, then she felt a perverted aura coming from behind her.  She glanced her eyes down to see two hands coming toward her chest, then she quickly looked up to see Nozomi with a mischievous smile on her face.

“Girls who lie need to be punished,” she said with impure intentions, then the clubroom was filled with the sounds of Nico desperately trying to escape Nozomi’s grasp.

“But Honoka, why do you want to go to Maki’s house?” Eli asked as she decided to ignore the sexual harassment happening.

“I was wondering the same thing.” Umi asked curiously as she looked at Honoka.

Honoka thought about it for a moment as she looked at Umi and Eli, then glanced at the other members in the clubroom.

“I just thought it’d be fun!  We’ve been pretty much just practicing here since New Year’s, so I thought we could relax at the beach!” Honoka responded with energy, then turned to her side as she felt a hand grab her shoulder.  Umi was looking back at her with a glare.

“Honoka, you don’t think we’ll be skipping practice if we go there, do you?” she asked with an authoritative tone, and Honoka shivered in response.

“Ehh?!  Why not?” Rin pouted as she leaned across the table toward Umi, who looked taken aback at the sudden interjection.

“What’s the point of going to a beach house if we don’t play?!” Nico asked flustered, as she slammed her hands on the table near Umi after she finally escaped Nozomi’s sinful hands.

“W-Well, I just think…” Umi wanted to explain her line of thinking, but was struck silent as Honoka, Rin and Nico were staring at her with intense expressions.

Eli loudly cleared her throat.

“I think we should practice as well.  Love Live’s coming closer too.” Eli gave her opinion on the matter, then Hanayo raised her hand to speak.

“I think practice is important too!” Hanayo joined the practice side of the group, and Umi looked at Hanayo and Eli with a thankful expression.

“Eli, Hanayo…” she murmured in admiration that others seemed to be taking Love Live seriously as well.

Without any words, the six members who had taken a side glanced to the two who hadn’t talked about it yet. 

With all of their eyes on them, Kotori and Nozomi looked at each other for a short moment, then they both smiled softly as they looked back at the group.

“Play!” they responded in unison, and Honoka, Rin and Nico cheered a bit in celebration.

Suddenly, the door to the clubroom burst open, and the other eight members all looked at Maki patiently as they awaited an answer.

“Jeez, it’s hard to talk on the phone with you all yelling,” she light-heartedly complained, then blushed when Honoka ran over to her and clasped her hands.

“Can we go?” she asked with a hopeful expression, then Maki glanced away from her and finally noticed the kind expressions on the faces of the other μ's members.

She relaxed with a small smile.

“They said it was fine.” Maki announced the approval of the plan, and everyone celebrated.

* * *

“Nishikino-san’s house?” Tsubasa asked to make sure that she heard it right, and Honoka nodded.

“Mhm! We’ll probably be there for a week or so.” Honoka started to explain the situation as she stepped into the living room of Tsubasa’s house.

Honoka told Tsubasa about the last time all of µ's went to Maki’s house, and how they wanted to visit there again.  They did end up deciding that they would still practice while they were there though.  They would practice early in the mornings most days, then have fun later on in the day, with some days off dedicated to just having fun.

Honoka only wanted to stop by Tsubasa’s house to let her know that she’d be gone for a while, and Tsubasa looked surprised.

“When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow!” Honoka replied excitedly, but her expression turned into worry when she saw Tsubasa crouch down on the ground and hold her knees.

“All alone for two weeks…” Tsubasa pretended to pout jokingly, but Honoka panicked and crouched down in front of Tsubasa.

“Ah!  You can come with us, Tsubasa-chan!” Honoka tried to ease her worries as she reached her hands to Tsubasa’s shoulders.

Tsubasa looked up with a small smile and brought a hand to Honoka’s head, then ruffled her hair gently.

“I’m just kidding.  Make sure you have fun while you’re there,” she said warmly, and Honoka smiled as she was being petted.

“I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you came though…” she murmured quietly, and Tsubasa laughed softly.

“Don’t worry about it.  In exchange…” she trailed off as she moved her hand from Tsubasa’s head, and instead gently cupped Honoka’s chin as she raised her head to meet her eyes.

“We’ll have to make up for the lost time when you get back,” she finished playfully with a wink as Honoka’s face became flushed.

* * *

The next day, after somehow being granted permission from the chairwoman due to Kotori’s influence and the fact that the Love Live finals were approaching, the group gathered at the train station in the morning.

“Honoka, do you have everything?” Umi asked her just to make sure, as she fully understood just how forgetful Honoka could be, but Honoka smiled brightly as she nodded.

“It’s fine, I made sure to bring it all!” she assured Umi, who relaxed a bit.

“I’m surprised the chairwoman agreed so easily though…” Eli murmured as she was still in disbelief, and Kotori gave her a smile.

“Of course she did, we’re important school idols!” Nico answered confidently with a pompous laugh, and Maki looked at her with a bit of pity.

“The beach!  We’re going to the beach, Kayo-chin!” Rin said excitedly as she latched onto Hanayo happily, and Hanayo smiled softly.

“Rin-chan, we have to practice too,” she reminded her, then Rin pouted.

“The trains are about to leave.” Nozomi suddenly reminded the group with a smile, then all of them except Eli started to panic and quickly ran toward the train.

Eli sighed as she walked up to Nozomi, and the two of them watched the group rush onto the train.

“I hope they still know we’re practicing right after we get settled in.” Eli remembered how exactly the last visit to Maki’s vacation home went.

“Well, it wouldn’t be so bad if all we did was just play.” Nozomi remarked happily, and Eli looked to her with surprise.

“Not you too, Nozomi…”

Nozomi smiled again, then lightly gripped Eli’s hand to pull her along as she started to run toward the train as well.

…

After they all boarded the train, they started to talk about how the µ's training camp was going to go. 

“And then we’ll-“ Umi continued to explain their plan, but stopped when she looked to her side and saw Honoka was already sleeping with a blissful expression.

“Already?” Umi sighed lightly, and Kotori laughed happily as she looked at both of them.

“Let’s not wake her up, okay?” she suggested with a smile, then Umi relaxed as she smiled as well, the both of them feeling a bit at ease due to looking at Honoka’s carefree face.

“We should’ve gone to my vacation home instead.” Nico said simply in a different seat, and Maki who was sitting next to her glanced at her with doubt.

“You don’t have one.” Maki crushed Nico’s fantasy without any remorse, and Nico quickly turned her head to look at Maki in response to the slander.

“O-Okay, I lied last time, but I really do have one now!” she defended her dream, but Maki raised a brow.

“Where?”

After Maki asked the question, Nico froze.  She wasn’t ready for that.  After a few short moments of Maki looking at her with suspicion, Nico started to answer while stammering due to embarrassment.

“It’s in…uhm, my home is in…Las Vegas?” she answered with the first non-verifiable thing that came to mind.

“That’s in America!” Maki immediately rebuked her, but Nico regained some confidence as she leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms.

“Well, it’s true.  The super idol Nico has homes in every country.” Nico said the most absurd lie without even batting an eye.

…

The group finally arrived at Maki’s vacation home, then immediately started to claim their own rooms and set down their luggage.

After they were all settled in, Umi, Eli and Maki were gathered by the whiteboard in the house, writing down their training schedule.

As they started to discuss it, Eli noticed a quiet sound that came from the stairs.  When she turned to look, her jaw dropped as she saw what was there.

Honoka, Kotori, Hanayo, Rin, Nico and Nozomi were all there in their swimsuits, carrying various beach gear.

“Where do you think you’re going…?” she asked with impatience in her voice, and it made Maki and Umi look to where she was looking, and they became slack-jawed as well.

“Honoka…” Umi glared at Honoka, knowing she was the one who organized this, and Honoka swallowed subconsciously.

“Run!” Honoka immediately called out, and the six of them took off despite the complaints from the other three.

Umi sighed exhaustedly, then looked to her side as she felt a hand on her shoulder, then saw Eli smiling softly.

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to just have fun today.” Eli said quietly, then Maki started to walk toward her room to change.

“We won’t get any practice done with them like that anyway,” she said lightly, then Umi showed a small smile as she realized they were right.

“Alright, let’s catch up to them.”

The three of them went back to their rooms to change into their bathing suits, then quickly ran after the six that left earlier.

* * *

 

 A little before the great escape from the six µ's members, Tsubasa was relaxing with Erena and Anju in their school’s coffee house.

She suddenly got a message on her phone, then curiously reached for her phone to read it.  She quickly blushed when she saw a picture of Honoka wearing a bikini, the picture taken while she wasn't looking.

After eyeing the picture for a bit, she finally realized there was another message sent right after the photo.

 

_Honoka (11:34 A.M.): Here’s a present – Nozomi_

 

Tsubasa laughed quietly at the message, then glanced at Erena and Anju, who were giving her curious looks.

She'd been thinking about what Honoka said the other day about joining µ's during their training camp.  She originally dismissed it, but it did seem fun.  She decided to take Honoka's advice.

“Do you two want to go somewhere?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> I just wanted to say I recently watched the SIP movie and started to read the SIP manga. I know I'm REALLY late to the party, I pretty much didn't want to watch the movie right away as I didn't want μ's to end.
> 
> Also, the manga's a lot different, so I'm really surprised by that. Kendo champion Kousaka Honoka was a sight to see.
> 
> As always, thank you all very much for continuing to read my story! I hope I can continue to write chapters that you'll all enjoy.


	21. Captured

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

“You’re sure this is fine?” Erena asked as the three of them walked away from UTX’s school grounds. 

They were just relaxing in the school’s coffee house during their lunch when Tsubasa suddenly suggested that they leave.  She tried to question it, but Anju quickly agreed with it, then they all snuck away.

“It’ll work out somehow!” Anju replied happily with baseless confidence, then glanced over to Tsubasa after she noticed they were far away from UTX.

“Where are we going anyway?” Anju raised a brow as she asked.  She was used to their leader sometimes acting impulsively, but not this much.

Tsubasa looked to both of them, then smiled as she looked straight ahead again.

“µ's is having a training camp at Nishikino-san’s house, and Honoka invited us, so I thought it’d be interesting,” she explained calmly as her mind started to wander to what she should bring along for their stay, but her thoughts were cut off by Erena.

“So that’s what the message you got earlier was about?” she asked to make sure, as Tsubasa didn’t bring up anything about this idea until after she received that message, but her question made Tsubasa avert her eyes.

“Ah…actually, she told me about it yesterday.” Tsubasa tried to answer it as simply as she could, not wanting the conversation topic to go toward that message, but her plans were ruined by Anju.

“Then why’d you only bring it up after getting that?” she asked as she leaned in closer to Tsubasa with suspicion, and Tsubasa backed away while holding her phone away from Anju.

“I-I just thought of it now-“ Tsubasa cut herself off as she suddenly felt her phone leave her hands, then she quickly turned her head and froze when she saw Erena fiddling with her phone.

“Hold on Erena!” Tsubasa pleaded as she reached toward Erena to stop her, but Erena smiled softly then gently tossed the phone toward Anju’s direction.

Tsubasa tried to grab it out of the air, but Anju was faster.

Anju held the phone away from Tsubasa with a smirk, then glanced to the contents on the screen as her eyes widened in amazement.

“Wow, Honoka-chan looks so cute in this!” she said in awe, then Tsubasa sighed quietly as she gave up on trying to get her phone back.

“I was thinking about joining them before I got that message, you know…”

Anju giggled as she handed the phone back to Tsubasa.

“I know, I know.  Are all of them really okay with us coming though?” Anju asked with doubt, but she was already thinking of which swimsuit she was going to bring.

Anju’s question reminded Tsubasa that she never checked if it was still okay.  She started to quickly write a message to Honoka to make sure.

“Tell them we’ll be coming too.” Erena reminded Tsubasa, and Tsubasa nodded her head.

“Got it.”

“Oh, and send me that picture of Honoka-chan, okay?” Anju playfully chimed in, but Tsubasa laughed.

“No way.”

Anju started to pout as Tsubasa pressed send on the message.

* * *

Meanwhile, during the adventures of µ's…

Umi, Nico and Maki were originally relaxing in their seats while the six others played in the water.  However, the six playing came up with the idea of playing beach volleyball, and then managed to convince Umi and Nico to join them by appealing to their competitive spirits.  Maki still declined however.

Nozomi, Eli, Hanayo and Rin were on one team, and Honoka, Kotori, Umi and Nico were on the other team.

What started off as a casual, fun match soon turned into an intense competition as they all started to get into it.

Maki took her eyes off of her book as she started to get interested as well.

The ball flew into Team Eli’s side of the court, and Rin successfully bounced it toward Nozomi, who perfectly set the ball.  Eli quickly jumped into the air, then put a little too much power into her spike as it flew into Team Honoka’s side of the court.

Nico fell as the ball slammed into her face, and the seven other members on the court quickly ran over as Maki rushed over as well.

“Nico-chan, are you okay?!” Honoka asked with worry as she held up Nico’s head.

Nico suddenly raised herself up as she rubbed her temple, trying to get rid of the pain.

“Eli, are you actually a girl!?” she yelled in surprise as she looked at Eli, who quickly blushed at the sudden accusation.

“Of course I am!” Eli was flustered, then Nozomi patted her head with a smile.

Nico looked around at the now relieved expressions of the other members, then paused at Maki, who had a blush and looked the most relieved of them all.

“Maki…?” she asked confused, wondering why Maki would run all the way over for something non-serious. 

Maki looked away in embarrassment.

“It’s nothing!” Maki walked back to where she was sitting, unwilling to tell Nico to her face that she was worried.

“You ruined it…” Nozomi said playfully as she shook her head in disbelief, and Nico glanced from Maki to the rest of the group as she wondered what she did wrong.

…

After Nico was declared safe and healthy, the game continued.  Maki went back to reading her book, then glanced over to the nearby table when she heard a phone ringing.  She reached out to it, then realized it was Honoka’s.

“Honoka!”

Honoka looked over toward the sound of the voice, the ball landing on the ground near her after she lost focus.

She jogged over to Maki as Rin and Nozomi high-fived for another successful point.

Maki tossed the phone over to her, and Honoka had to jump to catch it.

Honoka curiously looked at the name of the caller, then immediately smiled when she read it.

“Tsubasa-chan?” she answered, and the rest of the group all turned their attention toward her after they heard that name.

* * *

“Hi Honoka.  I wanted to ask you something.” Tsubasa was glad that the call managed to go through, as she wasn’t sure if µ's would be busy or not right now, considering her message didn’t get a response.  She held the phone to her ear using her shoulder as she packed a bag with clothes, as she wanted to leave right away in case the answer was yes.

_‘Hm?  Ask what?’_

Most of her normal clothes were packed, but her eyes glanced over to the few swimsuits strewn on the bed, then she sighed quietly as she still couldn’t decide on which one to go with.  She laid down on her bed to continue the conversation.

“I changed my mind.  If it’s still okay, can I come to Nishikino-san’s place?” she asked hopeful, then she raised an eyebrow as she started to hear sounds of panic coming from the phone.

 _‘Eh?!  But we already left…’_ The voice sounded disappointed, and Tsubasa could barely hear curious voices also coming from the phone.

Tsubasa sat up on her bed.

“That’s fine, I’ll just come later.  I was hoping Erena and Anju could come as well.”

_‘Really!?  You’ll come?!  Hold on, let me ask!’_

Tsubasa smiled as she heard the excitement coming from Honoka’s voice.

The call was quiet for a few moments, but she had to suddenly bring her phone away from her ear after a chorus of surprised and excited voices came through the phone loudly.

Tsubasa cautiously brought the phone back to her ear slowly, then Honoka’s voice came through.

_‘They said it’s fine!  I’ll message you the address!’_

They ended the call despite the voices in the background asking to have the phone passed to them, and Tsubasa happily messaged Anju and Erena the status update.

* * *

A few hours later, after µ's finished having their fun at the beach for today, they were all relaxing in the lounge of the house as Umi and Eli were explaining their practice schedule.

Honoka let out an involuntary yawn, a bit tired from their beach shenanigans, when someone suddenly rang the doorbell.

Honoka leaped out of her seat and ran to the door, then quickly swung it open to reveal Anju, Erena and Tsubasa standing there.

“Hi Honoka-chan!” Anju said happily as she reached out her arms and embraced Honoka, and the rest of µ's watched in shock.

“Eh? A-Anju-chan, what’s this?” Honoka asked as she started to feel flustered, then glanced to Erena and Tsubasa, who both just gave her a shrug in response.

Anju looked at Tsubasa with a playful grin, then turned her attention back to Honoka. 

“Honoka-chan…” Anju whispered the name with a blush as she started to lean in closer to Honoka.

Almost everyone else in µ's was too surprised to respond as they stared with wide eyes, except for Nozomi who was ready to take a picture.

Anju’s attempted kiss was stopped as Tsubasa grabbed onto the neck of her shirt from behind and pulled her away.

“Nooooo!” Anju jokingly pouted as she was separated from Honoka.  Of course, she wasn’t serious about kissing Honoka.  She went slow enough to where Tsubasa would realize what she was doing and could react in time.  Even if Tsubasa didn’t do anything, she was going to stop right before meeting their lips.

All in all, she just wanted to make Tsubasa flustered.  When she glanced back to Tsubasa’s face, she smiled when she saw Tsubasa was blushing, but also looked slightly irritated.

“Anju…” she muttered under her breath as she glared at Anju, who only gave a playful wink in response.

…

After the Anju incident, A-RISE walked upstairs with Umi and Maki so they could pick rooms to stay in.

“Where’s Honoka’s?” Tsubasa asked calmly, then Umi pointed toward the room nearby.

“Right there, but all of the rooms nearby are already taken-“ Umi started to explain, but Tsubasa walked toward the door and opened it anyway.

“I’ll stay here,” she said matter-of-factly as she set her bag down, and Erena and Anju laughed softly as Umi blushed with embarrassment.

“You two can’t stay in the same room, it’s sh-“ Umi started to refuse the idea, but was once again cut off by Tsubasa.

“It’s fine, nothing will happen that we haven’t done already.” Tsubasa smirked playfully as she said it, and now it was Maki’s turn to blush as she didn’t know how to react, but Umi sighed with relief.

“Well if that’s the case…wait, what do you mean by things you’ve done?” Umi asked as she slowly started to realize what exactly Tsubasa said, then Maki sighed as she signaled for Anju and Erena to follow her, the three of them leaving Umi to confront Tsubasa.

…

Umi was somehow convinced to let Tsubasa stay in the same room with Honoka, and Erena and Anju managed to get settled down in their rooms as well.

Now, with A-RISE included, they continued to go over their practice schedule as they all listened intently.

Honoka was too busy listening to Eli talk to notice that Nozomi whispered something to Anju and Erena.

After another minute of explaining, Eli suddenly clapped her hands together loudly.

“Now!” she signaled, then Anju and Erena practically jumped toward Honoka and held her down, as the other eight members of µ's surrounded Tsubasa.

“Wha-!?  Wait, what’s happening?!” Honoka was surprised and tried to escape from Anju and Erena’s hold on her, but it was useless.

Nozomi turned toward Honoka with a small smile.

“Sorry Honoka-chan, we need to talk to Tsubasa-san about something,” she said as she looked back toward Tsubasa, who only smiled softly.

“Sure, I’m okay with it.” Tsubasa surprisingly agreed, then the nine of them started to walk away, but Honoka called out with a last-ditch effort.

“You too, Umi-chan, Kotori-chan?” she tried to appeal to her two best friends, but she was swiftly denied.

“Sorry, Honoka-chan…” Kotori apologized to her innocently, while Umi sighed.

“I didn’t want to, but now I’m kind of curious…” she explained as she glanced to Tsubasa, who gave her a knowing wink.

Honoka looked shocked at the sudden revolution against her, but then moved her gaze to Anju and Erena, who were smiling at her.

“While they’re doing that…” Erena started, and Anju finished the sentence for her.

“We can ask you about Tsubasa!” Anju had a happy expression on her face, as she would finally be able to hear the secrets Tsubasa wouldn’t tell her.

Now the two lovers would be interrogated by their own lover’s friend group.


	22. Patience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

All of the members of µ's, minus Honoka, gathered in one of the otherwise empty bedrooms in Maki’s vacation house with Tsubasa. 

They all sat on the floor of the room, the eight members of µ's lined up on one side, and Tsubasa awkwardly sat in front of them all as they stared at her.

Tsubasa agreed to this, not that she had much choice anyway, but it started to feel uncomfortable as they all watched her for the moment.

It was Eli who broke the silence.

“Sorry for this, Kira-san,” she said quietly as she felt a bit of guilt for forcing her into this, and Tsubasa showed a small smile in response.

“Tsubasa’s fine.” Tsubasa felt it was a bit awkward at this point for any of them to be calling her by her family name, and Eli smiled.

“Okay.  Sorry for this, Tsubasa-san.  I know you just wanted to visit Honoka,” she corrected herself, and Tsubasa quickly shook her head in response to her words.

“It’s fine.  You girls are all interesting, so I kind of expected something like to this happen, actually.” Tsubasa moved her gaze from Eli’s eyes to the various members of µ's as she talked to them.

“I don’t know if that’s a compliment or not…” Umi said lightheartedly as she wondered about the reputation of µ's.

“I think it is!” Kotori smiled as she answered Umi, then glanced back to Tsubasa who was laughing quietly.

“You’re right, it’s a compliment.” Tsubasa relaxed.  She was a tiny bit nervous after suddenly being dragged into this room, but she was relieved to see the members of µ's were acting like their usual selves.

“Okay, back to what we wanted to ask you.” Nozomi calmly interjected, bringing the conversation back to its original point.

The seven other members of µ's looked at Nozomi patiently as they waited for her to ask the questions, but Nozomi leaned forward as she looked at Tsubasa with an intense expression.

“What are you doing to my daughter?!” she yelled as she tried to appear intimidating, but she was then pulled back by Eli who looked exasperated.

“Don’t just repeat what you said last time…” she scolded her lightly with a sigh, and Tsubasa raised a brow.

“I could tell you that, you know.” Tsubasa playfully offered to reveal the secrets, but Umi immediately held her hands up, as if to tell Tsubasa to stop.

“We don’t need to know!” she denied Tsubasa’s offer as she was flustered, and Kotori and Hanayo looked a little down after they heard they wouldn’t get to know the details.

The slapstick atmosphere was brushed away by Maki as she sighed softly.

“Can we actually ask the real question?” she said with a hint of impatience in her voice, but her expression softened when she looked at the other members' expressions.

They all seemed conflicted.  They wanted to ask the question, but they were also worried about what the answer would be.

“A-RISE will continue performing, right?” Nico decided to ease into the actual question as she tried to verify what Honoka told them a while ago, and Tsubasa nodded.

“Of course.  We’re planning to be idols even after we graduate.” Tsubasa answered with confidence, but then looked confused when she noticed the sad expressions on all of the µ's members' faces.

“What’s wrong…?” she asked softly as she tilted her head in confusion.  She wasn’t sure why that answer made the group upset, but she didn’t want to carelessly do something that might set them off.

The topic of graduation was brought up to µ's around New Year’s, but they decided to not talk about it until after Love Live was over.  It was still on everyone’s minds, and now with Love Live getting closer they were only thinking about it more often, but they still refused to discuss it for their own group.  However, they needed to ask about it for A-RISE.

“And you’re all third-years, right?” Rin asked even though she already knew the answer, as she was just delaying the question a bit.

Tsubasa nodded, then she started to get an idea about what they wanted to ask her.

“…Are you all worried about Honoka by chance?”

The group didn’t respond for a moment, indicating that she was right.

“We’re worried about what will happen to you two after you graduate, Tsubasa-san.” Eli looked into Tsubasa’s eyes as she said it.

As idols, the members of µ's were very happy when they heard that A-RISE would continue to be idols.  However, as close friends of Honoka, they weren’t sure what that meant for the relationship of those two.

Tsubasa slowly leaned back with a sigh as she looked up to the ceiling.

“I don’t really know,” she answered vaguely, and Umi immediately went to interject.

“Then-!” she started, but then stopped when Tsubasa shook her head.

Tsubasa was thinking about this herself recently, but she hadn’t brought up the idea with Honoka because she was worried.  She looked at the worried yet patient expressions of the group, then showed a small smile.

“I don’t know what will happen when we join a management company.  If they’ll tell us to go to different regions for months at a time, or to maybe visit other countries if we get famous enough, I don’t know anything about how it’ll work.  But…I do know that I love Honoka.  I don’t plan to break up with her after I graduate if that’s what you’re thinking,” she finished her explanation, then widened her eyes a bit when she saw the smiles on the others’ faces.

“We were mainly concerned about your idol career taking you away from her.” Nozomi said simply, and Tsubasa leaned forward as she looked a little worried.

“About that…like I said, I don’t know where it’ll take A-RISE.  I’m not sure if Honoka would wait for me if we had to leave for a long time.” Tsubasa said what was mostly on her mind.  She loved spending time with Honoka, but they truthfully hadn’t been together that long, so she wasn’t sure if Honoka would be willing to wait.

After Tsubasa expressed her worries, the other eight people in the room all thought back to various moments with Honoka.  Mainly, when Honoka was excitedly talking about Tsubasa, or when she would instantly run toward Tsubasa whenever she would appear, or when she would zone out during practice.

“I can’t imagine Honoka not waiting…” Maki remarked honestly.

“I can’t either…” Kotori agreed with her as she smiled.

The rest of the group offered their input, then unanimously agreed that Honoka would patiently wait no matter what.

Tsubasa felt comforted by the decision Honoka’s closest friends met, then she smiled wholeheartedly.

“I’ll make sure to talk to her about it soon, then!” she energetically replied, but then looked a bit worried when she noticed how the others’ expressions were changing.

“Now, to what we REALLY want to know…” Nozomi was the first to admit her honest intentions, then the rest of the µ's members quickly followed in agreement.

Tsubasa started to back away with nervousness as their intentions became clear, then they started questioning her all about her relationship with Honoka.

* * *

While the conversation with Tsubasa was happening, Anju and Erena successfully managed to make Honoka reveal everything that had happened in their relationship.  They had a basic idea after they went shopping with her, but now they made sure of it.

Honoka was in a daze as her face was flushed, and Erena and Anju felt just a little bad for making her go through all that.

“To think Tsubasa would be the top though…” Anju murmured in astonishment, and Erena blushed lightly after she heard that.

“A-Anju!” she reprimanded her, then Anju smirked.

The two of them were in the middle of trying to bring Honoka back to reality when the others walked back into the lounge.

“Everyone!” Honoka greeted them excitedly, but then paused in confusion when she saw none of them would meet her eyes, save for Tsubasa who was smiling, and Nozomi who gave her a thumbs-up.

“What’s the matter?” Honoka tilted her head, then Umi blushed as she turned her head away.

“Shameless!” Umi walked away, and Honoka had a blank expression as she wondered what she did wrong.

…

After that, A-RISE joined µ's practice session that was cut short, as it was already getting late.

Honoka, Tsubasa and Erena made dinner for the whole group, then they all retired to their rooms for the night.

Umi had second thoughts about letting Tsubasa stay in Honoka’s room after what they were told earlier, but she was convinced to let it go by the rest of µ's.

Honoka and Tsubasa were lying down on the bed, facing each other as Tsubasa gently ran her hand through Honoka’s hair.

“Honoka…you know I’m graduating with Erena and Anju, right?” Tsubasa decided to bring up the topic after it was suggested by µ's, and Honoka nodded.

“Mhm,” she quickly replied as she nuzzled up against Tsubasa.

Tsubasa smiled as she wrapped her arms around Honoka and brought her closer.

“And A-RISE will continue to be idols.  So…there’s a chance that I might get really busy, or even have to move away,” she continued quietly, then Honoka moved her head away a bit so she could look Tsubasa in the eyes.

“I know.” Honoka smiled as she said it.  She already thought about this, right after she learned A-RISE would continue performing.  She also knew what that meant for their relationship.  She considered it all, then came to her own conclusion.

Tsubasa looked at her with a worrisome expression, but then Honoka continued to explain.

“If that happens, then I’ll wait!  I’ll wait as long as I need to, then I’ll follow you after I graduate!  But…” she trailed off, then Tsubasa curiously raised a brow.

“But what?”

“I also have a feeling that we don’t need to worry about that!” Honoka replied confidently, then Tsubasa laughed quietly as she relaxed.

“What makes you so sure?” Tsubasa brushed Honoka’s hair away from her ear, then held onto her cheek as she stared into her eyes.

Honoka blushed, then thought about it for a short moment before replying happily.

“I just know!”

Tsubasa laughed again.  She wasn’t sure where Honoka’s confidence came from, but if Honoka could say nothing bad was going to happen without any hesitation, then she had no choice but to believe it as well.

The two of them shared a kiss.

…

The next morning, all of µ's were gathered as they agreed to start practicing at this time.  Well, all of them were there except one.

Nico lost the rock-paper-scissors tournament, and then begrudgingly walked up the stairs, then moved to Honoka’s door.

Without knocking, Nico quickly opened the door as she expected to see their clumsy leader still sleeping.

Part of that was true.

Nico froze in shock with a deep blush as her eyes looked at the bed.

The bedsheets covered most of it, but she could still see that Honoka and Tsubasa didn’t have their shirts or bras on as they slept next to each other.

As quietly as possible, Nico slowly backed out of the room, then gently closed the door behind her.

She then immediately sprinted back to the others.

…

After the situation was explained and they were woken up, Honoka and Tsubasa were sat on the ground as Umi confronted them, the rest of µ's watching with concern.

“That’s forbidden while you’re here.  Also, Tsubasa-san will sleep in a different room.” Umi restricted their love life coldly, and Tsubasa and Honoka had no choice but to accept her terms, as they were the reason they started practice late.

For the remainder of the two weeks, the twelve of them continued to practice in the mornings, then had fun in the afternoons.  Umi maintained constant vigilance at night, but with the help of Anju distracting her, Honoka and Tsubasa were still able to meet some nights.

The training camp finished without any more incidents, and then they all returned home with slight tans.

Honoka looked up at the ceiling of her room as she thought back to what Tsubasa told her earlier.

It was only a month until the Love Live finals, and they couldn’t go into it with unclear feelings.  The topic had been repeatedly put off, but there was no way they could continue like this.

µ's would have to get together and discuss what will happen to the group once Eli, Nozomi and Nico leave.


	23. Their Answer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

Honoka walked down the stairs after she thought about the situation a bit more.  She went to get a glass of water, but then paused when she looked inside the open room and noticed Alisa and Yukiho.

She quickly shook her head to get rid of her thoughts about the µ's situation, then quietly snuck inside the room and slowly approached the two.

She suddenly grabbed the two from behind and pulled them into a hug, which caused them both to panic.

“O-Onee-chan?!” Yukiho looked behind her, surprised to see her sister.

“I’m so glad you both got in!” Honoka exclaimed happily as she hugged the both of them tighter.  She was at Maki’s house when the results for the students accepted at Otonokizaka were announced, so she didn’t get the chance to congratulate them until now.

After hearing her sister’s genuine excitement, Yukiho relaxed in Honoka’s hug, but Alisa quickly escaped from it as she turned toward Honoka.

“Honoka-san!” she said happily.

Honoka looked to her with a smile, but then started to get confused when Alisa backed away.

Suddenly, Alisa imitated µ's sign that they did before starting a live show.  She had a big smile on her face as she then looked at Honoka patiently.

Yukiho noticed her sister’s expression flicker to a sad one for a short moment, but then it turned back to normal.

“That’s good!  I think you really got it down!” Honoka complimented her with a forced smile, then Alisa stepped closer to her.

“Will I…be okay to join µ's?” she asked quietly as she stared into Honoka’s eyes, and Honoka’s voice was caught in her throat as she tried to respond.  She ended up only giving a soft laugh in response before Yukiho decided to put a stop to it, noticing her sister’s uncomfortableness.

“Alisa!” she called out to her calmly, and Alisa looked toward her with confusion.

“Onee-chan has to focus on the competition.  Don’t bother her too much.” Yukiho gently reminded her, and Alisa looked back to Honoka apologetically.

“Sorry, Honoka-san…” she murmured, but then Honoka gently patted her head.

“Don’t worry about it.  Make yourself at home!” Honoka gave a small wave as she walked away, and silently thanked her sister.

Honoka quickly walked back up to her room, deciding to just go to bed for now.

Her thoughts about µ's resurfaced after talking to Yukiho and Alisa, and she couldn’t stop thinking about it until she went to sleep.

……

The next day came without any problems, and µ's were relaxing in their clubroom before practice started.

They were going over the practice schedule they received from A-RISE last week.  It was a considerable change from their normal schedule, as demanding drills were left out, practice would be shorter, and they would have even more off days.

This schedule would let them focus on staying healthy while conserving stamina and avoiding injuries.

Umi stopped explaining the schedule after she noticed one of the members was zoned out.

“Honoka?” she asked with worry, and Honoka jerked up in surprise when she suddenly heard her name.

Honoka looked around at the gazes of the other members, and they were all looking at her with confusion.

“Ah, sorry…” she meekly apologized for interrupting the explanation, then Maki smiled.

“By the way, both Alisa-chan and Yukiho-chan got in, didn’t they?” Maki asked Honoka, trying to make her stop thinking about whatever was bothering her.

Honoka quickly nodded.

“Mhm!  They’ll be new students this spring!” she answered Maki energetically, then Kotori looked to her happily.

“Alisa-chan always said she wanted to join µ's, so good for her!” Kotori unintentionally brought up the touchy subject, and Honoka looked down at the table in front of her with a sad expression.

“We’re gonna’ get a new member, then?” Hanayo continued the subject excitedly, and Rin looked to her with a smile.

“That means we’ll finally have a tenth member!”

Maki noticed Honoka’s expression, then looked at the third-years, who looked uncomfortable as well.  She turned to Hanayo and Rin.

“Hey, let’s not talk about that,” she calmly reminded them about what they agreed on, and Hanayo and Rin realized their mistake as they looked down.

“That’s right…you’re all graduating, aren’t you?” Hanayo quietly asked as she looked at Nozomi, Eli and Nico, who all subconciously frowned.

The room was silent for a few moments, then Nozomi broke the silence.

“I wonder about that…” she trailed off as she looked at Nico, who swallowed due to nervousness.

“I wonder if Nicocchi will graduate.” Nozomi smirked playfully.

“Of course I will!” Nico immediately rebuked, but Nozomi and Nico quickly stopped their banter when they noticed no one was smiling. 

Nozomi had tried to clear up the tension in the room with her joke, but it was useless.

Suddenly, Eli stood up and clapped her hands together loudly, gaining the attention of the eight other members.

“We agreed to not bring this up until after Love Live!  Now let’s practice!” she swiftly changed the subject as she started to leave the clubroom, and everyone else reluctantly got up from their seats and followed her.

…

The group started to run laps around the track field, and they naturally separated into their respective year groups.

Honoka jogged with Kotori and Umi as they quietly talked about the situation.

“Honoka, what do you think?” Umi continued the conversation as she glanced at Honoka, who smiled softly.

“I’m going to continue being a school idol.  I love singing, and I love performing with everyone.  But…” Honoka trailed off quietly, but Kotori looked at her and finished the sentence.

“You aren’t sure if you want to stay as µ's?” she guessed her friend’s feelings, and Honoka nodded slowly.

Umi and Kotori looked down at the ground for a moment, then continued to look straight ahead as they jogged.

“I’m not sure either.  Is the group really still µ's with the three of them gone?” Umi remarked sadly, and Kotori nodded.

“Right…” Kotori whispered sadly.

The small group of second-years were too distracted by their conversation to notice Nico’s silhouette coming closer.

Nico slowed down and separated from the other third-years when she barely heard what Honoka, Kotori and Umi were talking about.  She listened carefully, then stopped moving for a moment so she would be in line with the three of them as they jogged.

“Stay as µ's,” she said simply, and the three others suddenly noticed that Nico was jogging along with them. 

Nico noticed their surprise, then smiled a bit before continuing.

“Even if members graduate or quit, you have to keep the group name.  That’s what idols do,” she explained, and the others looked at the ground again as they thought about her words.

“Keeping the name will make us happier as graduates, too.  So you have to-“ Nico was suddenly cut off as she crashed into Nozomi’s chest, then she fell to the ground.

“Ow!” Nico exclaimed in pain as Honoka, Kotori and Umi looked at her with worry, and Eli walked up to make sure Nico was okay, but Nozomi crossed her arms. 

“We said we wouldn’t talk about that until after Love Live’s over!” she repeated Eli’s words, then Nico turned her head away as she clicked her tongue.

“I know that!  But…”  Nico was slightly irritated.

Just then, the first-year trio caught up to the others.

“Is it really okay to not talk about it?” Hanayo asked quietly, then the six upperclassmen turned to face her.

“I mean…Alisa-chan and Yukiho-chan both want to join µ's, right?  Shouldn’t we give them an honest answer?  I’d be anxious if I were in their shoes,” she continued to explain, and the whole group went quiet for a few moments.

Rin was the first to speak.

“Kayo-chin, what do you think?  Do you want to stay as µ's?” she asked patiently, and Hanayo moved her gaze to the ground as she thought about it.

“Well…”

“Don’t be shy, just keep going!  It’s not like every member is being replaced.  The six of you will still be here!” Nico suddenly interrupted to offer her own thoughts on the matter, but Hanayo quickly shook her head.

“I’m not being shy.  It’s just that…” she trailed off as she tried to find the right words to explain it, then Rin gently laid a hand on her shoulder.

Hanayo smiled, then continued.

“To me, µ's is the group of us nine here.  Even if just one of us is missing, it’ll be different.”

The group stared at her for a moment with mixed expressions, then Maki stepped forward.

“I agree with Hanayo.  But…I also understand Nico-chan,” she said quietly as she looked at Nico, who was still sitting on the ground.

“It’ll be painful to remove the name µ's, so it might be for the best to just keep going.”

After Maki finished talking, Nico slowly stood up.

“Right?  That’s how it should be,” she quickly agreed with Maki, then looked to the other members of the group, who now looked conflicted.

Nozomi stared at them patiently for a bit, then slowly turned to face Eli.

“Elicchi, what do you think?” she asked simply.  She knew just how much Eli wanted to avoid this conversation, as she was always the one telling them to wait until after Love Live.  However, she also felt that Eli had to talk about it now.

Eli looked at the other members sadly for a second, then showed a small smile.

“I can’t decide,” she said matter-of-factly, then the rest of the group looked at her with surprise.

“Can’t decide…?” Honoka whispered in confusion, but then Eli shook her head as she went to fully explain.

“I think the underclassmen should be the ones to decide this.  Nozomi, Nico and I will be graduating no matter what happens.  We can’t continue working as school idols, so we shouldn’t be the ones to talk about what happens after we leave.” Eli said it confidently, then moved her eyes from member to member.

“You’ll all have to decide.  That’s how I think it should be,” she finished calmly, and the group looked back at her in astonishment.

“Eli…” Nico said her name quietly, still taking her words to heart, when Nozomi suddenly brought a hand to her head.

“I guess she’s right,” she said simply with a smile, and Nico relaxed as she smiled back.

…

After that, they ended up practicing in silence.  When practice ended, the six who wouldn’t be graduating split away from the three that would, then they started to walk home.

They were silent for a minute as they replayed Eli’s words in their heads, then Kotori broke the silence.

“We ended up talking about it…”

Umi glanced toward Kotori, then smiled a bit as she looked forward again.

“I think we had to at that point.  It wouldn’t be good for us to head into the competition with unresolved issues.” Umi looked at Honoka, wondering what she was thinking, but Maki was the next to speak.

“What are we going to do?” Maki asked the question that no one knew the answer to yet.

They were quiet again for a short few seconds as they mulled over what to do.

“We have to make our own decision, don’t we?” Hanayo said sadly as she stated the obvious, not sure what else to say at the moment.

“It’s tough…” Rin complained quietly, then the group looked at Honoka as she suddenly turned around to face them.

Honoka looked at all of their faces, then reached a hand up to clutch her silver pendant.

“It is tough.  But I think what Nico-chan, Nozomi-chan and Eli-chan are saying is right.  We have to be the ones to decide,” she said quietly, and the rest of the group awkwardly averted their eyes, still unable to come up with an answer.

Honoka smiled.

“Let’s each think about what we really want to do.  Whether or not we’ll stay as µ's.  We’ll each think about it tonight and share our answers tomorrow!” Honoka suggested enthusiastically as she tried to brighten up the group’s mood. 

The five others all glanced to each other for a moment, then looked at Honoka as they nodded.

“Right!”

……

Honoka was lying on her bed as she racked her brain for answers.  What did she want to do?  What was the right answer?

She was sure that their fans would be happy if they continued.  But without Nico, Nozomi or Eli…

As Honoka struggled to come up with something, the phone next to her started ringing.

She glanced to it lazily, then immediately picked up and answered after she read the caller’s name.

“Tsubasa-chan?!” she excitedly answered, then heard a small laugh coming from the other end.

_‘It’s me.  How are you, Honoka?’_

Honoka relaxed a bit after hearing the familiar voice, but she still had the question about µ's on her mind.

“I’m doing okay.  Did you need something?  You usually text…” she asked quietly to make sure everything was okay.

_‘No, I just wanted to talk to you.  Is that fine?’_

Honoka smiled softly.  Tsubasa somehow always knew when something was wrong.  It was impossible to be sad around her.  Maybe if she asked her…

“Tsubasa-chan, I…”

Honoka talked with Tsubasa for a long while.  She told her all about how the third-years were graduating and that they were trying to decide what to do about the group.

Tsubasa listened patiently, letting Honoka sort out her thoughts.

In the end, Tsubasa told her that she wanted µ's to continue.  But she also said that it was ultimately their decision to make.

The call ended after a while longer, and Honoka went to sleep feeling a little better, but she still didn’t know what to do about µ's.

……

The next day, Honoka left the house without an answer, and she hung her head as she walked.

Her mind drifted to the question once again, but she was suddenly pulled back to reality by a familiar voice.

“Onee-chan!”

Honoka looked up from the ground, then seemed surprised when she saw Alisa and Yukiho standing side-by-side.  They both looked resolved.

“Yukiho…” Honoka murmured, then Yukiho smiled.

“We want to tell you something.”

“Huh?” Honoka looked at them with confusion.  It was just yesterday that Alisa was excited about joining µ's, and now they both stood in front of her with serious expressions.

Yukiho nodded at Alisa, who then nervously stepped forward.

“Honoka-san, I…” Alisa stopped her sentence as she looked down, still finding the words hard to say. 

Yukiho gently placed a hand on her shoulder, then Alisa looked up again, and stared into Honoka’s eyes.

“I’ve…decided not to join µ's!” Alisa announced it suddenly, and Honoka widened her eyes.

Honoka stepped forward in disbelief.  Alisa’s decision suddenly changed overnight, and she didn’t understand why.

“Eh?  Why…?” Honoka asked her quietly, and Alisa smiled softly.

“Yesterday…I talked with Yukiho.  She made me realize something.” Alisa stepped forward again, then gently grabbed Honoka’s hands.

“I love µ's when it’s the nine of you.  I love how you all work together and make progress little by little…and so, I realized.  I’m not a part of the µ's that I love.  To me, µ's is the nine of you!”

Honoka felt the answer to her question become clear as Alisa talked.  Her chest tightened as she could feel tears coming.

Yukiho stepped forward as well, and then smiled at Honoka.

“So, we’ll make a group that we belong to.  So please…show us the ropes, Senpai!” Yukiho said happily, then she and Alisa glanced at each other for a short moment before they both bowed respectfully.

Tears started to form in Honoka’s eyes as she instantly reached out and pulled them both into a hug.

They let out sounds of surprise as they were suddenly being held, then Yukiho looked at her sister.

“Onee-chan…?”

Honoka held them closer as a tear rolled down her cheek, then she smiled happily.

They were right.  The answer to that question was always obvious.  µ's can only be the nine of them, no more, no less.

Honoka pulled away from the hug, then quickly wiped away her tears.  She looked at Yukiho and Alisa’s confused faces, then she raised a hand to each of their heads.

“Good luck!”

Yukiho and Alisa looked at each other one more time, then happily looked back at Honoka.

“Thanks!” they replied in unison.

……

Following the schedule created with the help of A-RISE, there was no practice held on Saturday.

However, six of the members decided to meet up regardless.

After the school day ended, the six of them headed to Honoka’s house to have a discussion.

Honoka’s room wasn’t exactly ideal for more than three people to crowd into, but they managed to each find a spot to sit.

“It’s crowded…” Maki absentmindedly complained, then Honoka jokingly pouted.

“I’m sorry it’s not your beach house…”

Maki blushed a bit, then quickly turned her head away so she wouldn’t have to look at Honoka.

“I-I didn’t mean it like that!” Maki tried to explain, then Honoka laughed quietly.

They all started to make small talk, then Honoka looked at them seriously as she took in a deep breath.

“Okay.  Did everyone come up with an answer?” Her eyes moved from member to member, watching their expressions as they all turned serious for a moment.  Then they all nodded.

Honoka sighed softly as she readied her heart for this discussion, then she looked at Hanayo.

“I think we should go in order and say our answers one at a time,” she suggested calmly, then Hanayo panicked a bit when she realized Honoka was looking straight at her.

“M-Me first…?” she answered with a lack of confidence, and nervously looked at everyone else in the room.

They all looked at her with small smiles, ready for any answer she would have.

Hanayo relaxed a bit, then held her hands together as she looked down at the ground.

“I…think we should disband.  I can’t imagine µ's without them.”

Honoka slowly nodded at the answer, then she looked at the girl next to Hanayo.

Rin breathed a sigh of relief to herself when she heard that her best friend reached the same answer.

“I agree with Kayo-chin.  It wouldn’t be the same.”

After the answer, the group all looked to the next in line.

“…what?!” Maki instinctively looked away when all of their eyes were on her, but she then quickly turned back when she realized she had to give her answer.

“I feel bad for Nico-chan, but I also think we should disband.  I don’t want to be in µ's if it’s not with the three of them as well.”

As sad as disbanding was, they all hoped that they all reached the same conclusion, so there wouldn’t be any upset feelings among the six of them.

Kotori was the next to speak.

“I…” she trailed off, then quickly shook her head and looked at Umi and Honoka.  After reassuring herself, she started again.

“I think we should disband too.  Even if only one of us is missing, it’s not µ's.”

Umi didn’t waste any time with her answer.

“I agree.  It might be normal for other groups to keep the name when people leave, but it’s different for us,” she said without any hesitation, then smiled at Kotori.

After Umi gave her opinion, they all rested their eyes on Honoka, their leader.  They knew she had to be the one most troubled by this decision, so they were worried.

Honoka smiled sadly.

“So, we all came up with the same answer…” she whispered, then the rest of them looked upset as well.

They were silent for a minute as they came to terms with their decision, then Maki looked at the rest of them.

“So, when will we tell them?”

The group all looked at each other curiously, except for Honoka, who suddenly smiled brightly.

“I have an idea.”

After that, the group discussed the details of Honoka’s plan.  They all understood exactly what to do, and they agreed to do it as soon as possible.

……

The next day, Honoka called the rest of µ's to the shopping center.

Nico, Nozomi and Eli showed up without asking what Honoka had in mind for today, then looked at her in surprise when she suddenly said that she wanted to play.

“Play?” Nico repeated the word as she tilted her head in confusion, then Eli joined her.

“You called us on a Sunday just for that?” she asked with a hint of disbelief in her voice, then Honoka smiled happily.

“Well, we need a change of pace once in a while!  It’ll be fun!” Honoka said convincingly, but Nozomi just smiled.

“Didn’t we play at Maki-chan’s house not that long ago?” she reminded Honoka, who then averted her eyes suspiciously.

“T-That was just the beach!” Umi chimed in to cover for Honoka, and the rest of the underclassmen quickly followed suit, not wanting to give away their plan.

“You’re all awfully pushy today.” Nico remarked with suspicion as she turned to the five of them, but Honoka managed to get her attention.

“P-Plus, we haven’t all played together for a full day since µ's was formed, so I thought it’d be really fun!” Honoka stammered a bit as she said it, but it seemed to have worked as Nico turned back to her with a relaxed expression.

“That’s fine, but…what do you mean by playing?” she asked to understand, then the rest of the underclassmen all suddenly suggested different places to hang out all at once.

Nico turned to the chorus of voices with surprise, then sighed.

“You’re not agreeing on anything…” she muttered under her breath, but then Honoka laughed softly.

“Then we’ll just go to all of them!” Honoka announced energetically, and Nico, Nozomi and Eli looked at her with surprise.

“Huh?” they all replied in unison, a bit dumbfounded, but Honoka smiled as she went to explain.

“Each of us will come up with one place we want to go, and then we’ll visit them all!  Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“It does!” Nozomi instantly agreed happily, then Eli shrugged with a smile.

“Guess we’ll have to do that then.”

Honoka nodded, then practically skipped as she led the group on their day of fun.

…

With Hanayo’s suggestion, the group visited an idol shop, which was almost filled with entirely µ's.  Umi looked embarrassed as everywhere she turned were pictures of her.  Nico and Hanayo managed to find some merchandise they liked, then they bought it.

Next was Nico’s turn, where she quickly defeated Honoka on a dance machine in the arcade, taking revenge for that day long ago.

Kotori then led them to the nearby zoo, and they all imitated the flamingos as they stood on one leg.

Eli dominated the scoreboard in bowling, and the rest of the group could only watch her in amazement as she landed strike after strike.

Maki had to warn the rest of µ's to be quiet in the art museum, but she was immediately teased for it by Hanayo and Rin.

Umi led the group to the nearby lake, where they raced in swan boats.  Unfortunately, she lost to Hanayo and Rin due to miscommunication with Honoka.

Nozomi had the idea for the group to pray at the nearby shrine.  Three of them had the same wish, but the other six all wished for something else.

Rin brought the rest of µ's to the amusement park, where Honoka got to show them the ride she experienced with Tsubasa.

Lastly, they had to end the day with Honoka’s desire. 

Honoka calmly told them that she wished to go to the sea, where it would just be the nine of them alone, watching the sunset.

They were a bit confused at the uncharacteristic choice, but they went along with it regardless.

On the train ride there, Maki sat next to Honoka, looking worried.

“Are you ready?” she whispered to Honoka, who slowly nodded.  The entire day has built up to this moment.

…

When the nine of them arrived at the shore, everyone except the second-year trio immediately went to play in the water.

Honoka, Kotori and Umi watched them all happily for a minute, then Honoka gently gripped a hand from Kotori, and a hand from Umi.  She needed them to support her.

When the rest of the group all looked their way and noticed their linked hands, they smiled as they quickly went to join them.

The nine of them stood in a line, linked by their hands as they watched the gorgeous sunset.

They all stood there for a moment as they watched it with amazement, but Honoka had to break the silence.  This was the moment she’d been waiting for.

“You know…” she started quietly, then cut herself off as she started to get nervous.

Nozomi, Eli and Nico looked at her, curious what she was going to say. 

Hanayo, Rin and Maki gave her an encouraging nod.

Kotori and Umi lightly gripped her hands tighter as they smiled at her.

Honoka showed a small smile as she readied herself, then she continued her sentence as her voice started to shake.

“You know…the six of us got together and we talked about it.  What we would do going forward, and about what to do with µ's once Nozomi-chan, Nico-chan and Eli-chan graduate.”

“Honoka…” Eli murmured as she listened, and her chest tightened a bit as she waited for the words.

Honoka glanced at the other underclassmen for a moment, then continued.

“We all came up with our own answer.  And…it turned out we all came up with the same one.  So, that’s what we’ve decided to do.  I’m going to say it, okay?” Honoka asked the last part mainly for herself, but the five others that were part of the decision nodded.

Honoka let out a deep breath.

“One…” she tried to start the announcement that they planned beforehand, but almost started crying.

She collected herself as she shook her head, and everyone else waited patiently.

“One, two…” she loudly started again to signal it, then the others joined in.

“After the competition, µ's will…” they all started to say in unison, and the three third-years waited with bated breath.

“Disband!” they all yelled their frustrations toward the sea together.

Nozomi, Eli and Nico could only stare at them, their voices caught in their throats for the moment.

Honoka removed her hands from Umi and Kotori’s as she stepped forward, facing away from the group. 

“It just has to be the nine of us.  The nine of us make µ's!  If it’s not…” she cut herself off, as any more words would make her start crying.

Umi noticed Honoka’s shaking shoulders, then she calmly continued for her.

“We understand that it’s normal to have members leave and join.  But…”

“We’re different.” Maki finished the sentence for her as she looked at the sand below her.

“µ's is the nine of us.  It can only be us.” Hanayo said her thoughts out loud, and Rin quickly nodded.

“I agree with Kayo-chin.  I can’t imagine any of us missing.”

Kotori quickly wiped away the tears that were starting to form, then said her piece as well.

“If even a single one of us is missing, it won’t be µ's!”

As they all offered their own thoughts on the matter, Honoka started to tear up.  She was thankful that she wasn’t facing the rest of them right now.

“Right.” Eli suddenly agreed quietly, and Nico looked at her with surprise.

“I agree.” Nozomi quickly supported Eli’s decision.  It was obvious to both of them that this was the only answer.

Nico however, looked at them with disbelief.

“Eli…Nozomi…” she murmured quietly, and Nozomi shook her head as tears started to form in her eyes.

“You all know how I’ve been watching over you and even named the group…to me, µ's can only be us nine.  Even if you continued, I wouldn’t be able to think of it as µ's...” Nozomi’s tears ran down her cheeks, and Nico stepped forward.

“I understand that!  I think so too!  But…that doesn’t mean…” Nico walked forward some more as she stared at Honoka’s back.  Her own shoulders started to shake in a mix of frustration and sadness. 

“Nico-chan!” Maki called out to her with worry as she stepped forward as well.

Nico looked to the ground.

“You all know how I’ve felt about becoming a school idol, right?”

Nico was frustrated.  She finally found this group, and yet…

“I was about to give up on being an idol when I became a third-year.  But then…I found this miracle!  I met all of you!”

Why was it all slipping away? What was all this time spent for?

“I met this fantastic idol group!  This fantastic team!”

It was so frustrating.

“If we disband, then it’d just have all been –“

She was about to say words that she wouldn’t be able to take back, but widened her eyes when Maki suddenly ran in front of her and gripped her shoulders.

“Don’t say that!  We’ll continue to be idols!  We promise you, we’ll continue being idols no matter what!” Maki had tears forming as she looked straight into Nico’s eyes.

“Maki…” Nico murmured as she started to feel tears coming as well.

Maki gently bit her lower lip to keep herself from crying, then continued.

“But we want µ's to be ours alone!  We don’t want µ's without you three!  I don’t want it!”

Nico’s tears started to run down her cheeks, and Maki quickly pulled her into a hug.

After that scene, the rest of them couldn’t contain their tears any longer.

Rin cried into Hanayo’s shoulder, and Kotori and Umi slowly approached Honoka.

Kotori gently placed a hand on Honoka’s shoulder, and Honoka quickly turned around, finally showing the crying face she was hiding the whole time.

The three of them immediately hugged each other, and Nozomi and Eli stood next to each other as they watched the rest of them with sad expressions, barely able to stop themselves from fully crying.

They all stood at the shore for a long while, letting their emotions run free.

The decision for µ's to disband was incredibly difficult to make.  They realized that their fans would be upset, but for them, there was no other way.

The six underclassmen could continue as idols if they pleased.  The three members graduating could form their own idol group if they wanted.

But µ's belonged to only the nine of them.

…

After they finally ran out of tears, and cried themselves to the point of exhaustion, they all walked back to the train station.

When they noticed the photo booth nearby, they all knew what had to be done without any words between them.

It was crowded in there, but it was genuinely fun.  They all had red eyes in the photos as a result of them crying, but to them, those photos were priceless.

When they got back to their homes, they all immediately fell asleep, all of their energy gone after the long day.

The next day, Honoka told Tsubasa about their decision.  Tsubasa was sad to hear it, but after listening to Honoka’s full explanation, she understood it at least.

With no more unresolved feelings, the group stuck to their practice schedule as they quickly approached Love Live.  The photos from their session at the sea decorated the whiteboard and encouraged them to keep going.

Now there was only one week left until the competition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone.
> 
> Today's chapter is the longest one of them all, as I have fully adapted the episode where µ's decided to disband. 
> 
> As this story is not in any alternate universe, I felt it was extremely important to include this episode as a chapter in the story. As this chapter is pretty much a direct reading of the episode (aside from inner thoughts, minor changes to scenes, character movements/expressions, and side moments I've added in) I thought it would be disrespectful to make it multiple chapters, so that explains why this one is so long.
> 
> This is the very last time I'll be writing a scene that is directly from the anime, aside from one theme from S2 episode 12 that I'll use as a scene setup for the next chapter, and the obvious moments of µ's performing at Love Live and their graduation.
> 
> Apologies if anyone is extremely disappointed with this chapter. I understand that it's not the most attractive chapter to read if you're reading this story as it comes out, but I strongly believe it's important to the overall flow of the story.
> 
> Thank you for reading as always!


	24. Aspiring Idols

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

Honoka slowly tip-toed down the steps of Homura Bakery, trying to be quiet so she wouldn’t be discovered.

It was eerily quiet as her parents were out shopping, but she didn’t mind it.  More importantly, she was trying to find out if the target had already left the area or not.

“Where are you…?  Come out, come out…” Honoka whispered to herself as she looked around the area, but she was unable to find anything.

“Onee-chan?”

The sudden sound coming from behind her caused her to jump a bit in surprise, and she quickly turned around to face the threat.

Yukiho was behind her, looking down at her with curiosity as she dried her hair with a towel.

“Yukiho, don’t scare me like that…” Honoka breathed a sigh of relief as she held a hand to her chest, trying to calm herself down after Yukiho almost caused her a heart attack.

Yukiho could only look back at her in amazement.

It was only a few weeks ago that Honoka told her that µ's would be disbanding.  She was heartbroken, but eventually came to understand their reasons why it had to happen.  It was still a bit sad though.

Originally, Yukiho wanted to go to UTX, and even had small dreams of becoming a school idol and performing on stages like A-RISE did.  Then her sister suddenly decided to make her own school idol group, and even ended up winning against A-RISE at Love Live.

She turned into a full fan of µ's right after the video of ‘START::DASH!!’ with just Honoka, Umi and Kotori was released, and her sister became one of her main motivations for becoming an idol.

Now one of her inspirations was disbanding.

It made her sad to think about it too much, so she showed a small smile and carefully moved around Honoka on the stairs as she passed her.

“Onee-chan, don’t you have practice today?”

Honoka froze up a bit when Yukiho reminded her, but she quickly shook her head to avert suspicion.

“Nope!  We’re just resting today!” Honoka replied energetically with a smile, but her sister turned back to her with worry.

“But Love Love’s only in a few days!  Are you sure it’s okay?”

Yukiho was staring at her with uncertainty. 

Honoka felt a little bad for making her worry, but it couldn’t be helped.  This whole plan was started due to Eli bringing it up, and eventually everyone else in µ's wanted to do it.  They wanted to help just like they’d been helped.

They had actually practiced on their last off day, so they could freely take today off for this.

Honoka walked to Yukiho and gently brought a hand to her head, then ruffled her hair.

“It’s fine.  Everyone in µ's knows how important Love Live is,” Honoka said quietly, trying to alleviate her sister’s worries.

Yukiho sighed for a short moment, then smiled as Honoka started to pet her head.

“Okay.”

…

“Are you sure you don’t need breakfast?” Honoka called out as she poked her head out from the kitchen, but Yukiho shook her head as she slipped her outdoor shoes on.

“Alisa and I will get something after, so don’t worry!” Yukiho called back, then quickly ran out the door.

Honoka was just about to head up to her room to change when the door suddenly opened again, and she turned her head to it in surprise.

Yukiho leaned half of her body in as she waved toward Honoka.

“Bye-bye, Onee-chan!” she said happily, and Honoka relaxed as she waved back.

Satisfied, Yukiho left the house again.

After waiting for a few more moments to make sure Yukiho wasn’t coming back, Honoka quickly ran back up to her room.

……

“…so why are we doing this again?” Maki asked with a hint of impatience, and the rest of the group held a finger to their lips as they told her to be quiet.

“You’ll give us away!” Nico quickly warned her.

They all watched from behind a building as Yukiho and Alisa talked to each other near the shrine grounds. 

The two of them started their training to become school idols about a month to two months ago and have been working hard at it since.

The girls watched the two of them with amazement, but Maki decided to talk once again.

“Also, what do they have to do with this?” she asked casually as her gaze drifted to the three girls who seemed out of place.

“Curiosity?” Anju replied with a tilt of her head, and the group shushed the both of them.

* * *

“I’m sure they’ll do fine,” Yukiho assured the nervous Alisa, who was panicking after being told that µ's wouldn't be practicing today. 

“But Onee-chan didn’t tell me anything about that…” Alisa quietly pouted, still unsure.

Alisa gently chopped Alisa on the head to pull her out of her thoughts, then smiled at her.

“Let’s just focus on practicing, okay?” Yukiho suggested happily. 

Yukiho didn’t seem very alike to her sister in most cases, but to the people watching this scene in secret, she possessed one quality that her sister also had.

They both shined brightly when they were passionate about something.

Alisa relaxed after being convinced by Yukiho, then quickly nodded.

Without any more words, the two of them got into a formation side-by-side and readied themselves.

On Yukiho’s cue, they started to perform an odd rendition of the ‘START::DASH!!’ that was performed by just Honoka, Umi and Kotori. 

With only two people, they had to improvise with their dancing and singing quite a bit.  They had to move more frequently, and during the sections where the third member would sing, the two of them sang it in unison.

Suddenly, Yukiho missed a step in the dance and tripped, then awkwardly fell to the ground.

Alisa quickly leaned down to help her and make sure that she was okay, but the two of them froze for a second when they noticed that a figure was standing in front of them.

* * *

“O-Onee-chan?!”

Honoka immediately crouched down in front of her sister, then brought her hands to Yukiho’s legs to see if she was hurt anywhere.

“Onee-chan…?” Yukiho repeated, but with confusion this time as she looked at Honoka’s worried expression.

Honoka continued to search for any signs of injury, then quietly sighed in relief when she realized her sister was fine. 

“I’m glad you’re fine…” Honoka murmured as she pulled Yukiho into a hug.

The eleven other girls standing behind Honoka stared in a mix of amazement and bewilderment.

“It was just a trip…” Erena wasn’t able to believe that the happy-go-lucky leader of µ's was this overprotective of her sister.

“Well, it’s Yukiho, so…” Umi murmured in response, a bit used to the sight due to her childhood with Honoka.

Yukiho and Alisa finally noticed the large group once they started talking, and then looked at them with shock.

“W-Wha?!  Onee-chan and µ's?!  Even A-RISE?!” Alisa started to panic, but before the group could explain what they were doing, Honoka asked a question.

“But why were you doing that song?”

Yukiho and Alisa looked at each other for a moment, then sheepishly looked back to Honoka.

“Well it’s just that…” Yukiho started, but then felt a bit embarrassed to admit it.

“Neither of us are very good at composing, writing lyrics or making a dance…” Alisa completed it for her.

They admired µ's and A-RISE, but with just the two of them, it was difficult to make their own song.  They originally decided to wait until they were at Otonokizaka so they could have more members to help, but they did want to make something with just the two of them just a bit…

The rest of them looked downcast for a few moments, except for one.

Tsubasa smiled as she looked at the two aspiring idols, and then came up with a suggestion.

“Why don’t we teach you?” she asked simply.

µ's and the rest of A-RISE gave her confused looks, but Yukiho and Alisa immediately shook their heads due to being flustered.

“We couldn’t possibly-!” Yukiho instantly tried to refuse, not wanting to bother all of them while Love Live was coming up, but then turned wide-eyed when her head was suddenly patted.

Tsubasa crouched down in front of Yukiho and gave her a concerned look.

“Do you not want to?”

Yukiho stared at Tsubasa’s gaze for a moment, then quickly averted her eyes as she looked down at the ground.

“W-Well, if you’re all fine with it…” she reluctantly agreed.

The rest of them started to get excited about the idea of training the two, while Tsubasa quickly smirked.

She wondered why both of the Kousaka sisters react like that.

…

After that, Alisa and Yukiho spent the rest of the afternoon getting lessons and help from different groups.

First, they met with Umi, Rin, Nozomi and Erena to learn how to write lyrics.  They talked about what type of music Alisa and Yukiho would like to sing, and the four helpers asked if there was anything they wanted to sing about specifically.  With their help, Yukiho and Alisa were able to get a rough draft of some lyrics.

Next, they talked with Maki, Nico, Eli and Tsubasa for help with composing a song.  Alisa was especially excited to be working with her sister, and although neither Alisa or Yukiho could play any instruments well, the teachers worked patiently with them.  They learned how they could make music using computers, and Maki told them they could come over to her house for piano lessons if they wanted.

The next stop for Alisa and Yukiho was at the costume group.  Kotori, Hanayo, Honoka and Anju listened to the scattered ideas for costumes thrown around by Yukiho and Alisa, and they eventually sketched a basic idea with Hanayo’s help.  Anju and Kotori showed them how they could make the costumes themselves, and then offered to let them come by their houses if they needed any more help.

The last group had some repeat appearances.  Umi, Eli, Nico, Honoka and Tsubasa helped them come up with a basic dance.  They talked about the lyrics, music, and costumes, and came up with a dance that would fit those elements.  It was a bit odd to come up with the steps considering their different styles, but the rest of them let Tsubasa take the lead, as A-RISE had a similar amount of members.

…

After the long day, Yukiho and Alisa respectfully bowed to the whole group in thanks. 

They excitedly told them that once their song was ready, they would be the first people to watch the performance. 

Both µ's and A-RISE were excited to hear it, and told Alisa and Yukiho so, which made them blush with embarrassment.

After a bit more talking, the group eventually decided to just return home for the day.

Honoka wanted to walk back to Homura with both Yukiho and Tsubasa, but Yukiho told her that she was going to Alisa’s house, so they could start practicing right away.  Honoka could understand the feeling, so she let her go.

...

Tsubasa and Honoka walked with their hands linked, and Tsubasa grinned as she lightly nudged against Honoka.

“What will you do if she becomes a better idol than you?” she asked playfully, but instead of getting worked up over the idea, Honoka smiled.

“I would be happy!  Yukiho works hard, so I know she can do it!” she replied confidently, and Tsubasa sighed, satisfied.

“You really love your sister, don’t you?” Tsubasa asked happily, and Honoka quickly nodded.

Just then, a smirk spread across Tsubasa’s lips.

“What about me, then?” she asked teasingly, and Honoka immediately blushed, clearly not expecting the conversation to suddenly go in that direction.

“O-Of course I love you too…” she answered bashfully, and Tsubasa laughed quietly.

They both looked up though when they heard someone calling out to them, and then they saw Honoka’s mother waving at them.

“Honoka!  Dinner’s ready!  Make sure your girlfriend comes too!”

Honoka immediately froze in shock, realizing she hadn’t told her mother about their relationship this whole time. 

While Honoka tried to recover from her embarrassment, Tsubasa let go of her hand and happily walked over to Honoka’s mother.

“I’d love to,” she replied, and the two of them looked at each other with a small smile as Tsubasa walked inside the house.

Honoka slowly walked over to her mother, then looked at her with surprise.

“You knew…?” she asked in a whisper, and her mother quickly ruffled her hair despite Honoka’s complaints.

“Of course I knew.  Now come on,” she replied in a gentle tone, and Honoka finally relaxed as she brightly smiled.

“Okay!”

…

For the most part, they had a normal dinner.  The conversation eventually went in the direction of their relationship, but Tsubasa calmly answered their questions.  She didn’t get a one-on-one talk with the father like Honoka did, but the parents quickly accepted the relationship.

……

A few days later, all of µ's were sitting down in an assembly hall, patiently waiting.  Then, they were called.

“Entry number 11, Otonokizaka Academy school idols, µ's!”

Tomorrow was Love Live.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone.
> 
> Apologies for the multiple days without a chapter, I wanted to take a short break before these next few chapters. To tell the truth, I wanted to start writing a bit earlier, but I experienced some writer's block as well.
> 
> We've finally arrived at Love Live. I want to take this opportunity to let everyone know that the end of this story is coming soon. I won't say exactly how many more chapters I have in mind, but you should all know the story is approaching the conclusion.
> 
> Ideally, I want to complete the story in less than a month after I started it, so we'll hopefully have all of the chapters before or around the 27th. Though, the ending chapters are extremely important, so I won't rush to complete it by that date if I'm having a difficult time writing a chapter. Quality comes before speed.
> 
> On a side note, during my break, I was thinking of any future stories I'd like to write. Before jumping into any more multi-chapter stories I'll probably do some various one-shots so I don't feel compelled to write every day. One of the story ideas for a multi-chapter one I had was possibly a slightly different AU, where Koto/Umi/Hono would be the established idol group as UTX, and we'd see the story of Tsuba/Anju/Erena's rise to stardom, but I'm still not entirely sure on the details of all that, and that wouldn't be until after this story's done anyway, so...
> 
> Anyway, I've been ranting too long, I've said what I needed to. As always, thank you all for reading my story. You have no idea how much it means to me, and I hope you'll stick with me until the end.


	25. The Day Before

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

“I still can’t believe that we actually got the last spot,” Eli remarked, the rest of the group still excited about it.

Earlier in the day, µ's showed up to the spot selection for the Love Live finals.  They all agreed that the one to actually pull their number should be Nico, their club president.

Luckily, Nico managed to select the last performance spot of the evening, so now µ's could possibly make the greatest impact.

“I know, right?  You should all thank me,” Nico replied haughtily, still feeling a bit smug about the whole ordeal.

A few of them laughed bashfully due to Nico’s actions, then Umi started to fidget a bit in her seat due to nervousness.

“It does come with a lot of pressure, though…” Umi reminded the energetic group, and they thought about it for a moment.

Last Love Live, A-RISE stood on that stage and made history as the winners.  They weren’t given the chance to do that this time after losing to µ's.

Now, everyone in µ's wanted to honor the wishes of A-RISE.  They were told to win Love Live, and that’s exactly what they all aimed to do.  But could they actually…

Just then, a loud sound shook the rest of them out of their thoughts, and they turned their heads to see Honoka with her hands on the table.

“It’ll be fine!  This way, we can make sure everyone knows µ's!  We’ll get to be the last group everyone sees, and we’ll get to sing for everyone!” Honoka tried her best to convince the rest of them, but then Maki brought up a good point.

“Well, the last group would actually be the encore by the winners…”

Honoka tripped up for a moment as she was suddenly reminded of the rule, but she quickly shook her head.

“Then we’ll just have to win!” she decided earnestly, and the rest of the group showed a relaxed smile at her words.

Eli then clapped her hands together to get the group’s attention.

“Alright, let’s practice!” she quickly announced, and the rest of the group energetically stood up from their seats to follow her.

…

For the most part, practice was like usual.  Though there was a somewhat sad mood hanging over all of them.  They all put on their best smiles, but what they realized earlier kept resurfacing in their thoughts.

This was their last practice session as µ's.

During a break from practice, Honoka had a gloomy expression on her face as she watched the other groups.  Hanayo, Rin and Maki were having a fun conversation, and Eli and Nozomi were humoring Nico by trying out Nico’s signature pose. 

It seemed like such a happy scene, but Honoka couldn’t help but getting a bit depressed as she watched it.

Just then, Kotori sat down next to Honoka, then wrapped her arms around her as she pulled Honoka into a hug.

“E-Eh?! Kotori-chan?” Honoka gave Kotori a surprised look, but Kotori just pulled Honoka even closer.

“No getting sad, Honoka-chan,” Kotori whispered.

Honoka smiled softly in Kotori’s embrace, then looked down to the ground.

“Mhm.”

Umi sat down on the other side of Honoka, then looked to the other groups just like Honoka did.

“It’s still hard to believe it though,” Umi empathized with Honoka.

Kotori wasn’t having it though, as she looked at Umi with a small frown.

“Ah!  Is Umi-chan sad too?” she said with suspicion, and Umi leaned back a bit, feeling like she was in danger.

“Huh?!  N-No, I wasn’t-“

“I think she is!” Honoka quickly agreed with Kotori, then reached her arms out and pulled Umi into the hug as well.

“Hey! Stop!” Umi desperately tried to get out of the hold, but now that Kotori changed her hold so now that she was hugging both Honoka and Umi, escape was impossible.

Just then, the other groups noticed the scene that was happening.

“That looks fun, nya!” Rin said excitedly as she rushed over to them, and Hanayo quickly followed.

Maki and Nico didn’t join in immediately, so they had to be gently pushed by Nozomi and Eli.

Soon enough, everyone in µ's was engaged in a giant group hug.

…

After practice, they were all walking together toward the school’s gate.  They all understood that they needed to separate at some point, but they still refused to walk across the crosswalk even after the light turned green.

“We’ll never go home at this rate,” Nico complained, but she didn’t move either.

“I know, but…” Hanayo didn’t want the moment to end just yet.

The group stood in silence for a few more moments, then Honoka turned to face all of them.

“I have an idea!” she said enthusiastically, and the rest of µ's gave her a curious look.

…

Due to Honoka’s suggestion, the group arrived at the steps of the nearby shrine to pray.

“It felt like just yesterday we climbed these…” Nozomi playfully reminisced, and Maki sighed quietly at the absurdity.

“Actually, we did that today,” she corrected Nozomi, who then gave her a quick wink in response.

They climbed the steps, then lined up at the shrine to make their wish.

“I hope we’re not making too many wishes…” Umi said quietly as she worried, and Eli laughed a bit.

“I don’t think you need to worry about that,” she said confidently, then glanced to Nozomi, who quickly nodded.

“It’s not a problem,” she agreed, just as confident.

“Huh? Why?” Hanayo asked curiously, not understanding the vague responses to Umi’s question.

Rin glanced to Hanayo, surprised.

“Huh?  You don’t get it, Kayo-chin?”

Hanayo shook her head, feeling a bit silly at being left out of the loop.

“Ah, I get it,” Maki suddenly chimed in after she thought about it a bit.

“So that’s it,” Umi was able to piece it together as well as she retracted her question.

Slowly, the group all came to understand the answer.

They may not have used the same exact words, but they all surely wished for the same thing.

After they finished, the group talked for a bit longer. 

Honoka’s suggestion was so that they could feel satisfied with today and meet at Love Live tomorrow, but they were all still reluctant to separate. 

Suddenly, a familiar voice made them all look back toward the steps of the shrine.

“Oh, it’s you girls.”

Their eyes rested on Tsubasa, the one who called out to them, along with Anju and Erena.

“A-RISE?!” Nico greeted them with shock.  Even though she’s interacted with them a lot since Honoka got into a relationship with Tsubasa, she still couldn’t get used to meeting all of them.

“Hi~” Anju replied playfully as she waved at them, then the three of them started to walk toward µ's.

“Making a wish?” Erena guessed what they were doing there, and everyone in µ's slowly nodded in response.

“Is that why you’re here too?” Kotori asked innocently with a tilt of her head, and Tsubasa smiled softly.

“That’s right.”

As the members of A-RISE walked toward the shrine, Honoka stopped them for a moment.

“What are you wishing for?” she asked curiously, but Anju quickly stepped forward and gently covered Honoka's mouth with a hand.

“Not telling,” she said with a smirk, and Tsubasa and Erena shrugged in response.

Though with this timing, it was obvious what they were wishing for.

…

After A-RISE finished wishing, they picked up on the fact that µ's didn’t want to separate.  They laughed a bit, as it reminded them of their own experience.

Erena suggested that µ's should do what they did at that time, to simply stay at the school overnight.

With Kotori’s mother’s permission, they were able to organize the overnight stay.

After spreading out the beds, they discovered that they could only fit nine into the room.  Which would normally be fine, but…

“We’re here!” Anju enthusiastically greeted µ's as she opened the door to their clubroom.  Erena and Tsubasa poked their heads in as well with small smiles.

However, the members of µ's had conflicted expressions.

“We’re happy that you’re here, but…” Eli sighed softly.

“We only have space for nine beds,” Umi finished the sentence for her, feeling a bit guilty that they invited A-RISE without making sure there was enough room beforehand.

Tsubasa, Anju and Erena walked inside the room, then looked down at all of the bedrolls, deep in thought.

Tsubasa smirked as she suddenly got an idea.

“Well, I can always sleep with Honoka-“ she started, but was immediately cut off by Umi’s glare.

“Absolutely not,” Umi quickly denied the suggestion, and Tsubasa pouted a bit as Anju giggled.

“Well, what are we going to do then?” Erena asked seriously, wondering if they would have to leave.

The group searched for a solution for a moment, then Umi glanced to Kotori.

“Kotori,” she signaled, hoping Kotori would immediately understand her intentions, and Kotori nodded with a smile.

“Honoka-chan!” she called out happily, and Honoka looked at her curiously.

“Huh?  Wha-“ Honoka started to ask, but was softly brought to the ground by Umi and Kotori.

“Eh?!  Kotori-chan?! Umi-chan?!” Honoka was confused as she looked at both of them, who were smiling.

The three of them were somehow able to fit into one bed, so now there were two open spots.

Anju quickly warmed up to the idea, and brought Erena down to the ground as well, and they both showed that they could fit into one bed.

Now there was a spare bed for Tsubasa, and no one had to leave.

However, Tsubasa stared at Umi and Kotori with dissatisfaction.

“So, you two can sleep with her just fine, but it’s not okay for me?” she asked playfully, but Eli immediately folded her own arms.

“Your version of ‘sleeping’ is a bit different, Tsubasa-san,” Eli reminded her simply, and Tsubasa and Honoka couldn’t help but blush as they remembered that scene.

Tsubasa couldn’t possibly argue against that, so she reluctantly agreed on sleeping in the spare bed.

After talking for a bit more, Honoka and Tsubasa joined Nico and Hanayo in cooking for the group.

They all had a fun time for a few more hours, then fell asleep.

...

Well, expect for two of them.

Honoka slowly wiggled out of Kotori and Umi’s hold on her, and successfully managed to not wake them up as she left her spot. 

She quietly crept out of the clubroom, then opened the door of the nearby classroom.

“I was starting to think you weren’t going to come,” Tsubasa said simply as she glanced to the doorway, and Honoka closed the sliding door behind her as she walked in.

“Sorry!  Kotori-chan really had me stuck there…” Honoka sighed softly, then the two of them giggled happily.

Honoka walked over to the desk that Tsubasa was sitting on top of, then looked to her with a smile.

Tsubasa slowly reached a hand out, then tucked some of Honoka’s hair behind her ear as she held her cheek.

“Are you nervous?”

Honoka moved her eyes to the ground, then nodded.

“A little,” she admitted quietly.

All of their practice has led up to tomorrow’s Love Live.  This was also the last chance for Eli, Nozomi and Nico.  She was insanely worried and couldn’t stop thinking about how they would all feel if they lost.

Some tiny part of her thought back to when she had her accident during the first Love Live.  In the end, the rest of µ's didn’t hold it against her, but maybe if they lost tomorrow…

As Honoka was deep in thought, Tsubasa removed her hand, then hopped down from the desk. 

She wrapped her arms around Honoka’s waist, then brought their bodies close as she looked into Honoka’s eyes.

“You’ll do just fine, trust me.  Anju, Erena and I have been with you girls practicing, and we know your performance will be amazing,” she said without a trace of doubt.

It’s not just because Honoka was her girlfriend, or because A-RISE was friends with µ's.  µ's was good enough to beat them in the preliminary finals, and after practicing with them more, all of A-RISE agreed that µ's would most likely win it all.

All nine of them were extremely talented and had more passion for being school idols than any other group competing.

“But-!” Honoka tried to refute it, but she was cut off as Tsubasa’s lips met hers.

Tsubasa broke the kiss shortly after.

“No buts.  You have to believe in yourself and everyone else.  I know you can do it,” Tsubasa said simply, and there was no more room for Honoka to talk back.

Honoka eventually smiled as well.  All of her nervousness was cleared away by Tsubasa, so now she just had to do the best she could on that stage tomorrow.

“Thank you, Tsubasa-chan.  Now I-“ Honoka started to explain that she should be going back to bed, but Tsubasa quickly walked forward while holding onto Honoka, and soon enough, Honoka had her back to the wall.

“T-Tsubasa-chan…?” Honoka asked with confusion as she looked at Tsubasa, who now had a smirk on her face.

“We’re not done yet,” she said mischievously, and Honoka swallowed subconsciously.

“Ehh…?” she murmured in embarrassment as she blushed and averted her gaze.

Tsubasa moved her arms away from Honoka’s waist, and she instead grabbed both of Honoka’s hands and held them above her head, against the wall.

“I know you were busy with practice, but…” Tsubasa started, then leaned closer, their faces only a few inches apart.

“I was lonely,” she teased, and Honoka looked back at Tsubasa with nervousness.

“I’m sorry…” Honoka earnestly apologized, which made Tsubasa laugh softly.

“Sorry, I was just messing with you.  I know you couldn’t help it,” she explained seriously, and Honoka breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she didn’t make Tsubasa upset.

“Then I-“

“But I really do want to make up for it now,” Tsubasa cut her off with a grin.

Honoka became nervous again, but for a different reason this time.

…

Tsubasa and Honoka managed to control themselves, and didn’t take their midnight rendezvous any further than kissing.

The next day, µ's split up from A-RISE, as they needed to be at the venue early.  All of A-RISE understood, as they understood well just how early the staff expected groups to show up for the finals.

All of µ's stood side-by-side as they looked up at the entrance for the venue, then mentally prepared themselves as they walked past the signs.

Today, they would perform at the Love Live finals.


	26. Last Live

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

“It’s huge…” Honoka murmured in admiration.

All of µ's were walking together, checking out the venue.

The start of the preliminaries could be any location they wanted, and although the preliminary finals were set up elaborately, it was still just a simple stage.

Now, they had a giant area dedicated just for the competition.  There were signs and televisions everywhere, along with market stands so people could purchase idol merchandise.

Of course, the stage itself was the most amazing part.

A lot of groups would be performing, so the equipment was excellent.  The lighting and the colors made it even better.

“I can’t believe we’ll be performing at a place like this…” Rin remarked as she was still in a state of shock, but Nico crossed her arms.

“Love Live is just as important as shows for professional idols!” Nico reminded the group with a confident smile, and the rest of them nodded.

Umi noticed something was amiss though as she looked around.

“Where’s Hanayo?” Umi asked, worried.

After Umi pulled them out of their daze, they also realized that their reserved friend was missing.

“Hanayo-chan!!” Honoka cupped her hands around her mouth to shout louder, and the other members followed her lead as they called out for Hanayo.

“Hanayo!!”

“Hanayo-chan!”

“Kayo-chin!!”

Just as they were about to split up to look for her, they heard a familiar, excited voice in the distance.

They all rushed toward the source of the sound, only to see an over-energetic Hanayo moving from booth to booth, looking at all of the idol merchandise.

“This isn’t even in stores anymore!  Where did you get this?!” Hanayo asked excitedly as she leaned in close to the person in charge of the booth, who then quickly backed away in nervousness.

Just then, a helpful hand came to aid the shopkeeper.

“I’m sorry about that, we’ll be taking her now,” Eli said with a scolding tone as she grabbed the back of Hanayo’s shirt collar.

“Ah…” Hanayo finally realized that she lost herself in her hunt for idol merchandise, and she was swiftly dragged away by the rest of µ's.

…

“I’m sorry…” Hanayo sheepishly apologized once the group was inside the building, and Umi sighed.

“Right after we talked about not getting lost…” Umi said as she shook her head in disbelief, and then Nozomi laid a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s fine now, right?” Nozomi tried to lighten the mood with a smile, and Umi relaxed.

“Don’t make us worry,” Maki lightly scolded Hanayo as well, and Hanayo nodded slowly in response.

“Uhm, where’s our room?” Kotori changed the subject, and the rest of the group looked around the entrance hall they were in.

“Someone from the staff is supposed to show us,” Eli explained as she recalled the email they received the day before.

They all scanned the area one more time, and then became confused when they couldn't spot any staff members.

First, Hanayo wandered around without telling them, now this.

The exciting day for µ's started out with trouble.

* * *

“So, we really ended up coming here again…” Erena remarked with a bit of disbelief.

After they split up with µ's, they relaxed at Tsubasa’s house for a few hours, but then Tsubasa suddenly said she wanted to go somewhere.

That place ended up being the shrine.

“Tsubasa’s really worried,” Anju said teasingly as she glanced at Tsubasa, who smiled a bit in response.

“Sorry.  I just wanted to make sure,” Tsubasa said seriously, and Anju and Erena both nodded.

The three of them headed to the building, then silently made their wishes.  Tsubasa’s wish took the longest.

They started to walk away, and Erena sighed happily.

“You didn’t even get this nervous when we performed there, so why now?” she asked curiously, and Anju put her hands behind her back as she smirked playfully.

“It’s because she loves Honoka-chan, obviously,” Anju glanced at Tsubasa, who laughed quietly as a small blush appeared on her cheeks.

“Well, that’s part of it.  But…” Tsubasa trailed off, then looked up to the sky as she recalled the worried expression she saw last night.

“It’s different when it’s someone else, I suppose.  I was nervous when we had to go on stage, but I was still in control of how it went.  Now, it’s all up to them,” she finished her explanation seriously, then glanced to Erena and Anju, who only gave her an astonished look in response.

Tsubasa smiled, then looked straight ahead again.

“Also, she was really worried about it, so…”

Anju and Erena smirked a bit after Tsubasa said that.  It was cute how she could go from completely serious, to a worried girl in love in the blink of an eye.

“Want to go pray one more time, then?” Erena suggested, and the three of them stopped walking.

“Good idea,” Tsubasa answered her happily, and they all turned around and ran back to the shrine.

* * *

“Yukiho!  Yukiho, look!” Alisa excitedly called Yukiho over as they reached the entrance of the venue.

Most of the groups had already performed, and now it was nearing the time for µ's to go on stage. 

“It’s so pretty…” Yukiho admired the view quietly. 

The two of them had watched the last Love Live finals online, but seeing the venue in person was a much more amazing sight.

Alisa reached out and clasped Yukiho’s hands, then started jumping up and down happily now that the day was finally here.

“Our sisters are really going to sing here, right?!  It’s not a dream!?”

Yukiho smiled warmly at how over-energetic Alisa was acting.

Of course, they were both worried about how µ's would do.  Yukiho even admitted to Honoka at one point that she couldn’t help but worry about their group.

But seeing the venue also evoked a different feeling within her.

Yukiho moved her hands away from Alisa’s, then quickly reached her arm out and wrapped it around Alisa’s shoulder, pulling her close as they stood shoulder-to-shoulder.

“H-Huh?  Yukiho?” Alisa was confused by the sudden contact, but Yukiho quickly pulled out her phone, messed with it a bit, then held it out in front of them.

“This is to mark our goal!  Once we get into Otonokizaka, we’ll enter Love Live, just like µ's and our sisters!” Yukiho had a bright smile as she suggested the idea, and Alisa stared in amazement for a moment before she quickly nodded.

“Mhm!  And we’ll win, just like they will!” Alisa answered zealously, excited for the future.

The two of them posed in front of the Love Live signs, and Yukiho took the picture that would encourage their future selves.

* * *

“To think that we’d be holding these ourselves…” Erena remarked in astonishment, the three of them holding kingblades in their hands.

“It seems fun!  Though they’re a little difficult…” Anju murmured as she started to press the buttons on the bottom.

Kingblades were multi-colored LED sticks with a variety of colors, and one could even program a specific order of colors to cycle through for different stages of a concert.

“They seem pretty easy, actually,” Tsubasa answered confidently, but Anju playfully rolled her eyes in response.

“Well, yours will only be on orange, so…” Anju teased her, sure of the fact that Tsubasa would never switch from Honoka’s color.

However, Anju raised an eyebrow when she saw Tsubasa calmly shake her head.

“I’ll support Honoka of course.  But, I’ll also cheer for the rest of them.  They’re all amazing girls, and I want to see them win,” Tsubasa said clearly, and Erena smiled as she nodded.

“That’s right.  They beat us, so it’s their responsibility to win here,” Erena said happily, and Anju smiled as well.

They were only quiet for a few moments before Tsubasa gave in to Anju’s suspicions.

“Of course, I also brought one of these for each of us,” Tsubasa reached into her pocket and pulled out three ultra-glowsticks that were orange.

These were glowsticks that were much brighter than regular ones, but only lasted for around five minutes. 

Anju and Erena both playfully sighed in unison, but they both quickly accepted the gift.

* * *

Kotori’s mother was waiting by the venue’s entrance.

She had become friends with the parents of the other idols in µ's, and she wanted to make sure that they’d be properly equipped if they showed up.

As she scanned the crowd entering, she spotted two familiar figures.  However, she couldn’t tell if they were holding anything.

She smiled a bit as she headed over to the two, then grabbed their attention.

“Excuse me…” she said quietly, and the two parents turned their heads to look at her.

“Do you need these?” she finished her sentence as she pulled out two glowsticks, one orange for Honoka, another deep blue just in case.

The other parents stared at her for a moment, then swiftly pulled out eight glowsticks each, all orange.

“We’ve got it covered!” Honoka’s mother answered happily, and both of the mothers laughed.

* * *

“Dear, are we going to late?” the woman asked with a worried tone, and the man who was pulling her hand along smiled confidently.

“Don’t worry!  I made sure we’d have enough time!”

The two of them continued running with all of their energy, and once they saw the signs in front of the entrance, they breathed sighs of relief, then brought their hands to their knees as they recovered their breath.

“We made it…” she said as if a burden was lifted off of her shoulders, and the man laughed.

“Of course we did!  We didn’t miss the last one, and we won’t miss this one!” he said full of vigor, then grabbed the woman’s hand gently as they started to walk into the venue.

The woman smiled contentedly, then looked up to her husband.

“We didn’t have to fly all the way here in such a hurry, you know,” she said quietly, but the truth was that she was insanely happy that her husband was able to persuade their management team to let them leave early.

He looked at her in surprise, as if there was no other option than to personally come to the venue today.

“What do you mean?  Of course we have to see our daughter in person for the finals,” he replied matter-of-factly, and the woman tilted her head in confusion.

“Huh, but Tsubasa’s group won’t be singing…” she reminded him, but he quickly shook his head.

“No, I meant our other daughter!”

The woman realized what he meant, then laughed quietly as she moved closer to him as they walked.

“Dear, Honoka isn’t our daughter yet.”

* * *

A little bit after everyone arrived at the venue, all of µ's were standing in the hall near the entrance to the stage, already wearing their costumes.  They could hear the cheers from the audience, and they were all excited to go on stage.

“There must be a huge audience out there…” Kotori remarked quietly as the sounds of the cheers drowned out her thoughts, and Umi smiled.

“I hope you’re excited.  When you and Honoka invited me to join µ's, I was always nervous, but now…” Umi thought back to just how nervous she was during their first performance, then she looked behind her at the rest of the µ's members.

“Now I can’t get enough of it.  Performing in front of everyone makes me really happy.”

Kotori smiled happily at Umi’s words, and Hanayo changed the subject as she messed with the frills on her costume.

“Do I look fine?  Is this cute?” Hanayo had a hint of worry in her voice.  As this was the final performance for µ's, she wanted it to be perfect. 

Rin excitedly gripped Hanayo’s shoulders as she looked at her with a smile.

“Don’t worry, you look super cute!”  Rin eased Hanayo’s worries, then did a quick twirl around as she laughed.

“What about me?”

“You’re cute too!” Hanayo answered happily with a small blush.

Nozomi watched the exchange, then looked to the rest of the group with a playful expression.

“I’ll be performing like a star, so you all better be ready!” she warned them energetically, trying to make sure everyone in µ's was fired up for their performance.

As the rest of them stared at Nozomi due to her sudden challenge, Eli smiled.

“Then I’ll try to steal the spotlight as the center.  It’s our last performance, after all!” Eli answered Nozomi’s challenge with confidence, and Nozomi smiled back.

Rin watched the challenge start to unfold, then excitedly held on to Maki.

“Maki-chan, we can’t lose to them!” she insisted eagerly, and Maki nodded as she looked at Nozomi and Eli.

“Don’t think we’ll go easy on you just because you’re third-years,” she warned them with a smile, then glanced at Nico, who hadn’t spoken yet.

“That especially applies to you, ‘Miss Number one idol in the universe,’ Nico-chan,” she singled her out playfully, and Nico laughed.

“Don’t forget what you just said.  You haven’t seen what we can do when we get serious,” she accepted the challenge, then glanced to Nozomi and Eli, who nodded back at her.

They all laughed for a short moment, then Umi reminded them of what they had to do.

“It’s almost time,” she said simply, then they all turned their gazes toward their leader.

Honoka looked at their expectant expressions one by one, then smiled.

“Everyone, let’s show them everything we’ve got!  Let’s put all of our feelings, emotions, and gratitude into our performance!” she said energetically, then reached out her hand and extended two fingers, starting the µ's tradition.

The rest of them quickly did the same, then waited patiently for Honoka’s next words.  However, she wasn’t speaking.

“Honoka?” Umi asked quietly as she threw a curious gaze her way.

Honoka looked softly at their hands.

“I just don’t know what to say,” she admitted easily, and the rest of them looked at her with confusion.

“What do you mean?” Nico asked, a bit worried, but Honoka shook her head.

“I really don’t have anything to say.  We’ve already talked about everything we need to do, and now we’re all joined together.  We’re all feeling and thinking the same things, right?” she asked happily as she looked at the rest of the group, and they all gave her a small smile in response.

“Right,” Nozomi confirmed it, then Honoka took a deep breath as she readied herself.

This was µ's.  This was the group that had joined her and had been by her side this whole time.

It was time to show everyone.

“This is µ's last performance!  Let’s give it our all and make it amazing!”

Honoka then moved her gaze down to their hands again, and then started what everyone had been waiting for.

“One!”

“Two!”

“Three!”

“Four!”

“Five!”

“Six!”

“Seven!”

“Eight!”

“Nine!”

“µ's music start!”

* * *

“Ah, I think I got it!” Anju said excitedly as she figured out how to set up her kingblade, and Erena looked at her in amazement.

“Just now!?”

Tsubasa laughed quietly, then they all turned their heads in surprise as the lights on the stage dimmed.

Music started to play, and the platform rose to reveal µ's in their costumes.

“S-So cute…” Anju murmured in amazement, then Erena held a finger to her own lips to tell her to be quiet.

Tsubasa smiled, then mentally recited her wishes that she made at the shrine.

Tsubasa, Erena and Anju glanced at each other for just a short moment, then they all turned on their kingblades as µ's started to perform ‘KiRa-KiRa Sensation!’ for the whole audience.

* * *

The girls of µ's lined up as the audience started to loudly cheer once their performance ended.

Each one of them had bright smiles on their faces as they watched the crowd, then they all glanced to each other as a signal.

Honoka started their farewell.

“Thank you so much!” she shouted sincerely, then one by one, they all announced their names to the crowd.

After everyone said their name, they all held the hands of those next to them, and Honoka shouted the name that they all didn’t want anyone to forget.

“Otonokizaka Academy school idol group, µ's!”

“Thank you so much!” they shouted in unison as they bowed, and the crowd started their shouts of excitement once again.

* * *

“That was amazing…” Erena murmured, completely awestruck.

“They definitely won…” Anju quickly agreed, her eyes glued to the spot on the stage that µ's were just standing on.

Erena glanced at Tsubasa, who had been quiet for a while, and was surprised to see tears forming in her eyes.

“T-Tsubasa?!” she called out worriedly, and Tsubasa jumped a bit in surprise as she realized she was starting to cry.

Tsubasa quickly wiped away the tears that were forming, then gave a small smile.

“It was just amazing…” she started to explain, then quickly shook her head as she decided to be honest with them.

“Sorry.  That’s part of it, but to be honest…I was just wishing that we could have been up there as well,” she corrected herself with a hint of sadness in her voice, and Anju and Erena looked at her sadly.

“Tsubasa…” Anju whispered, not quite sure what to say, but then Tsubasa suddenly looked at both of them, full of newfound energy.

“Hey, let’s start it!” she suggested excitedly, and it only took a few moments of thinking for Erena and Anju to understand what she meant.

“But they haven’t announced the winner yet…” Erena reminded her, but Tsubasa smirked as she looked at Anju.

“Well, it’s just like what Anju said, there’s no way they could lose.”

Erena and Anju glanced to each other for a second, surprised at Tsubasa’s insistence, but then they both sighed happily as they decided to go along with it.

“Sure,” Anju agreed, then the three of them looked back at the stage as they raised their glowsticks once more.

“Encore!” they started the chant in unison, and those nearby quickly followed their lead.

* * *

At the same time that was happening…

The members of µ's were in a nearby hall, and they couldn’t stop themselves from tearing up after their performance.

They sang their hearts out, and they were overjoyed that everyone was cheering for them.

They worked hard to get all the way to this stage, and they gave a performance that nobody would forget.

However, it was also their last performance.

As they all held each other, the chanting from the crowd became loud enough to reach their ears.

They looked through the window and watched the crowd with amazement.

At first, they all thought that they simply misheard the chanting.  But as the sound only grew louder, the message became clearer.

Honoka couldn’t stop herself from fully crying.

The group all held the same feelings in their hearts as they hugged each other, but they quickly snapped out of their daze as they heard someone running toward them.

They turned to face the person, and it was one of the Love Live staff.

“Sorry for the sudden notice…” the woman said quietly as she collected her breath, tired from sprinting all the way to where the girls were.

They looked at her patiently, and she quickly stood back up as she faced them with a small smile.

“Do you girls think you can get ready now?” she asked them happily, then nodded toward the crowd.

Everyone in µ's instantly understood what she meant, and Honoka quickly wiped away her tears as she smiled brightly.

“Come on, everyone!” she shouted energetically as she started to run toward their changing room, and the rest of the group excitedly followed her.

They quickly changed, and the crowd exploded with deafening cheers as µ's came back on stage to perform ‘Bokura wa Ima no Naka de.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> The chapter where µ's delivers their last performance has finally arrived. I hope you all enjoy it.
> 
> Credit goes to Shiroi Hakuto and his small series 'Tsubasa-sama is a Love Liver!' for the idea of Tsubasa's moment after the performance ended (and for also teaching me the term kingblade.) It's a very short two-part series about the idea of Tsubasa being a total fangirl of µ's, I recommend it to anyone who's a fan of TsubaHono, it's very cute.
> 
> I'm personally excited about the next few chapters, but also a little worried if I'll be able to give this series the ending it deserves, so I hope I'll be able to make them satisfying for everyone reading this story.
> 
> Thank you as always!


	27. A Parent's Intuition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

Tsubasa slowly opened her eyes as the light shone down on her face from the parted blinds.

“Bright…” she murmured as she turned her body and buried her face in the pillow.

She tried to quickly go back asleep, but the moments from the day before filled her thoughts.

µ's won Love Live.  A-RISE’s rival group, and the group that her girlfriend was the leader of, actually managed to win it all.

She knew just how amazing µ's was, but it still didn’t feel real to her.  The group she’d been cheering on ever since A-RISE lost, and the group that was going to disband after their performance, actually reached their dreams.

Realizing that she wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep, she turned around once more and reached out toward the nearby desk, then grabbed the phone that was sitting on top of it.

She smiled as the phone lit up and revealed its screensaver, proving that last night’s events really happened.

It was a group photo of A-RISE and µ's, with Honoka in the middle proudly presenting the flag that they won.

…

Tsubasa rubbed her eyes as she walked into the living room of her house, but the sight that was waiting for her made her fully wake up.

Was that always there?

Tsubasa curiously stepped toward the table that had a pink envelope sitting on top of it.

Her thoughts drifted back to the events of last night.

After µ's was declared the winners, herself, Erena and Anju met up with µ's to celebrate.  Even though everyone in µ's had to be exhausted after their performance, they still celebrated their victory until the early hours of the next day.

When it was time to head home, Tsubasa didn’t get the chance to ask Honoka to stay over at her house, as Umi and Kotori already decided to bring Honoka back to Homura.

So Tsubasa came back to her home by herself, and although she was tired, she could’ve sworn that she didn’t notice the envelope before.

So, someone with a key to her home must have done it.

Tsubasa decided to stop thinking about it, and simply reached toward the envelope and opened it.

She pulled out the letter and examined its contents.

 

_Tsubasa –_

_Congratulations on Kousaka-san’s win at Love Live!  She told us before just how much you, Todo-san, and Yuki-san have been helping µ's, so you should feel proud as well!_

_We decided to get you and Kousaka-san a present, but don’t feel pressured to use it.  It’s just us wishing for your happiness._

_It’s in your closet._

_Love,_

_-Mom, Dad_

Tsuabsa read the letter a few times just to fully believe what it said, but it still confused her as she tilted her head.

Mom and Dad came home just for Love Live?  And they even came into the house, but didn’t say anything?

More importantly…

Tsubasa left the letter on the table, then quickly walked back to her room to check the so-called ‘present.’

Something about the way it was referred to in the letter made her curious, so she had to check it immediately.

She opened the closet, and her eyes immediately found what the letter was referring to.

She was in disbelief for a few minutes as she silently examined all of it, then she smiled softly.

“Don’t feel pressured, you say…”

* * *

Later that day, Honoka was standing outside of Tsubasa’s house, adjusting the hem of her skirt.

She would normally just wear casual clothes, but last night after Love Live, Anju convinced Honoka to go shopping with her the next day.

The two of them went from store to store, and Anju was delighted as she made Honoka try on various outfits.

They decided on some outfits that they both liked, and Anju ended up buying every single one despite Honoka’s complaints.

Anju insisted that it was just a gift for winning Love Live, but Honoka still felt guilty when she saw the receipts before Anju quickly hid them in her bag.

Now, she was just happy.

Hanging out with Anju was fun in its own right, but now she was free to spend time with Tsubasa whenever she wanted now that Love Live was over.

As she thought that, her thoughts drifted back to what she’d been worried about the whole morning.

The graduation for the third-years was just in a few days.

Eli, Nozomi and Nico would be…they’d be…

Honoka quickly shook her head to get rid of the thoughts, then reached her hand out and rang the doorbell to Tsubasa’s house.

This wasn’t the time to get depressed about the third-years.  She had to hold back her tears until it actually happened, no matter what.

…

Hmm?

A minute had passed, but there was still no answer to the doorbell.

She had come unannounced, so there was the possibility that Tsubasa was away…

She wondered what to do, but quickly remembered the gift given to her by Tsubasa.

She hadn’t had to use it recently, so she almost forgot about it.

After sending a quick text message to Tsubasa, Honoka entered the key and walked inside the home.

“Pardon the intrusion…” she said quietly, then tilted her head when she noticed that all of the lights were on.

“Tsubasa-chan?” she called out as she poked her head in the doorway of the living room, then stared for a moment at what she saw.

Tsubasa was quietly sleeping on the couch, apparently needing more sleep after last night’s events.

Honoka smiled, then noticed that something was missing.

She quickly ran to get something, then slowly stepped toward Tsubasa, trying not to wake her.

She carefully rested the blanket on top of Tsubasa, and Tsubasa smiled while sleeping and clutched the blanket.

Satisfied, Honoka turned around to leave the house, but stopped in her tracks when she heard the voice.

“Honoka…?”

Honoka turned around, then saw Tsubasa looking back at her with a listless expression.

Ah.

“Sorry, Tsubasa-chan!” Honoka energetically apologized for waking her, but Tsubasa held out a palm to stop her as she sat up on the couch.

“Don’t apologize…what are you doing here?” Tsubasa asked with a yawn as she rubbed her eyes to wake herself up.

She didn’t remember falling asleep, but the dream she was having suddenly changed, and when she woke up she saw Honoka walking away.  Not to mention the adorable outfit she had on.  Naturally, she was curious.

Honoka looked back at Tsubasa with a conflicted expression, still a bit guilty about waking her up, but also happy that she was awake.

“Well, I…”

She trailed off, wondering if it was best to just let Tsubasa go back to sleep, but she decided not to lie.

Honoka raised up the bags that she was holding.

“Hanayo-chan said this movie was good, so I wanted to watch it with you, then I was going to cook us dinner…”

Tsubasa perked up.

“That sounds good!  Let’s-“

Tsubasa cut herself off as she noticed something when she went to stand up.

Her eyes glanced downward, then she noticed the blanket that was previously around her.

She smiled softly, then stood up.

…

The movie that Hanayo suggested wasn’t actually that good, but neither Honoka or Tsubasa minded that fact.

The two of them sat next to each other on the couch, the single blanket wrapped around them both.

“So warm…” Honoka murmured, then leaned her head on Tsubasa’s shoulder.

Without looking at her, Tsubasa leaned toward Honoka as well, snuggling against her.

“You know…” Tsubasa started talking while she kept her eyes glued to the television, but then stopped for a second.

She sighed happily, then continued.

“We talked to one of the agencies who emailed us.  We’ll sign with them once we graduate, and the best part is…”

Tsubasa smiled brightly.  She learned of this a week ago, but she didn’t want to accidentally distract Honoka from practice, so she desperately resisted telling her.

But now, there was nothing stopping her.

“We won’t have to move!  We’ll be able to stay here-“ Tsubasa excitedly turned her head toward Honoka as she explained, but stopped herself when she saw the blissful expression on Honoka’s face.

Honoka was sleeping.

Tsubasa was slack-jawed as she stared at the sight.

She thought that it was strange that she hadn’t heard anything from Honoka after she leaned on her shoulder, but now it was explained.

Tsubasa sighed again, then laughed quietly.

‘Guess I’ll have to tell her later,’ she thought to herself as she drifted off to sleep as well.

* * *

When Honoka woke up, the person who was next to her was gone.

She quickly panicked and started to look around, but it didn’t take long to find her.

Honoka walked behind her curiously, then smiled as she peered over her shoulder.

“What are you cooking?” she asked simply, but the sudden voice caused Tsubasa to jump a bit.

Tsubasa looked behind her, then held a hand to where her own heart was when she realized it was Honoka.

“Don’t scare me like that…” Tsubasa complained quietly, then turned back to the counter in front of her.

Honoka laughed softly, surprised that Tsubasa could make a noise like that when she was scared.

However, Honoka narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she recognized the ingredients Tsubasa was using.

Honoka looked back to the bag of ingredients that she brought with her, then looked shocked when she saw that it was empty.

She was excited about cooking for Tsubasa, but now the plan was ruined.

There was still a hope though.

“Let me help!” Honoka energetically suggested as she moved to Tsubasa’s side, but Tsubasa instantly shook her head.

“No, you should relax.”

‘This girl…’ Tsubasa quickly thought to herself.

In truth, she was happy that Honoka was willing to do all this for her.  However, Tsubasa couldn’t just let Honoka compete in Love Live then immediately go back to cooking dinners.

“But-“ Honoka went to complain anyway, but Tsubasa cut her off as she looked at her.

“Please, just let me do this for you,” Tsubasa said with a soft smile, and Honoka knew there was no talking back.

…

With Tsubasa cooking, Honoka was sitting down with nothing to do.

Unfortunately, Honoka was not the type of person who could just sit still.

Honoka left the living room, then quickly walked into Tsubasa’s room, determined to at least do something for her.  If she couldn’t cook, she would clean.  If she couldn’t clean, she would…

Do something else?

Honoka was a little disappointed that she could only come up with the idea of cooking and cleaning, but then became even more lost when she noticed that Tsubasa’s room was already clean.

Just then, her eyes drifted to the closet.

‘Maybe this won't be clean…’ she thought to herself as she opened it.

* * *

Tsubasa did feel a bit guilty about not letting Honoka help, but in her mind, Honoka needed to rest.

Plus…

She wanted to cook for Honoka once in a while too.

She quietly hummed as she cooked, but then a voice called out to her.

“Tsubasa-chan!”

Tsubasa glanced behind her, but was then stunned as she took in the sight.

Honoka was wearing a light-blue wedding dress, one of the ‘presents’ left behind by Tsubasa’s parents.

Honoka was excitedly waiting for a response.  She wanted to surprise Tsubasa, but then she became nervous when she noticed that Tsubasa wasn’t saying anything.

“S-Sorry!  I just saw all of them, and they all looked interesting, so I just…” she quickly tried to explain the situation as a blush formed on her cheeks.

Tsubasa let go of the cooking utensils in her hands, then quickly walked forward and pulled Honoka into a hug.

Honoka was flustered.  First, she put on the dress impulsively, then Tsubasa wouldn’t react at all.

For some reason, she came to the conclusion Tsubasa was mad at her, so she buried her face in Tsubasa’s shoulder and meekly apologized.

“I’m sorry.”

Tsubasa was surprised for a moment at the sudden apology, but then she smiled a bit.  She understood how Honoka’s train of thought worked by now.  So, she decided to ease her worries.

“I was just surprised, is all.  You look beautiful, Honoka,” Tsubasa said quietly, then brought one of her hands to Honoka’s head, gently running it through her hair.

“Tsubasa-chan…” Honoka murmured her name as her blush grew deeper.

Tsubasa smirked a bit, then continued her praise.

“And you looked very cute in the outfit before, too,” she added on, and Honoka could feel her own face become hotter by the second.

The two of them stayed like that for a while, then laughed embarrassedly.

Tsubasa went back to cooking, but her thoughts drifted to the inside of her closet, which was now adorned with multiple different wedding dresses and suits thanks to her parents.

She originally thought that her parents were getting ahead of themselves, but now that she’d seen Honoka in one of those dresses, she changed her mind.

'Good taste, Mom,' she thought to herself with a smile.


	28. Farewell µ's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

“This has to be the last spot!”

With Eli’s suggestion, every member of µ's reached the rooftop of Otonokizaka.

Today was the graduation ceremony for the third-years.

The day was honestly fun. 

They got to meet Nico’s mother, Honoka was able to give a sincere farewell to all of the third-years, and then they visited the auditorium where their journey all started.

They also cleaned out their clubroom completely, and Hanayo was chosen to be the new club president, with Maki chosen as the vice-president.

The memories of their time spent recently flooded the thoughts of all the members, and they knew that they couldn’t leave today without visiting the rooftop as well.

The nine of them all had warm smiles on their faces as they looked at the rooftop.

This place was always there to support them, from the beginning to the end.

They started there because they didn’t have anywhere else to practice.  As the group continued to grow, they gathered and practiced there every day.

µ's overcame many difficult challenges there, while occasionally having time to fool around and laugh.

They all held these feelings in their hearts as they stared at the scene, then Honoka’s eyes widened.

“I know!” Honoka said excitedly, then ran back toward the stairwell.

The other members of µ's were surprised at the sudden outburst, but they relaxed, deciding to wait patiently.  They knew their leader’s impulsive side well enough by now.

After a few moments, Honoka came running back on the rooftop with a bucket in one hand, and a mop in the other, and the other members gave her a curious glance.

“Honoka-chan?” Hanayo asked, confused, but Honoka just ran over to the water faucet with a smile on her face.

“Umi-chan, do you…?” Kotori gestured toward Umi, wondering if she knew what Honoka was doing, but Umi just silently shook her head in response.

Honoka filled the bucket with water, then the others watched her with anticipation as she started to draw something on the rooftop with the now wet mop.

As the drawing started to take form, some of them slowly started to realize what it was.

“Honoka…” Eli murmured happily, then Nozomi glanced toward Eli, confused.

“Huh?  What is it?” Nozomi asked enthusiastically, trying to pry the answer out of Eli, who realized it.

Eli decided not to reply, leaving Nozomi to come up with her own conclusions, and soon enough, Honoka finished her drawing.

Honoka laid the mop against a nearby wall, then they all stared at the µ's symbol that Honoka created.

Nozomi was the one who gave the group their name, but now it belonged to all of them.

They looked at the symbol with a mixture of happiness and sadness, and Maki was the first to speak.

“It won’t last long with this heat, though…” she said quietly, and then Honoka shook her head with a smile.

“That’s how it should be,” Honoka whispered.

They listened to her words as they continued to watch the symbol.

Looking at the sign evoked different memories for each of them, but they were all precious memories that couldn’t be replaced.

After a few more moments, they all glanced to each other, then silently came to the same conclusion.

“Thank you very much!” they shouted sincerely in unison.

…

After that, everyone except for Honoka left the rooftop.

She emptied the bucket of water next to the drain, then went to grab the mop that was against the wall, but she stopped in place.  She turned back around, then looked at the fading µ's symbol.

It was already halfway gone.

With a small smile, Honoka sat down against the railing and kept her eyes to the symbol.

She felt a little guilty about making the other wait, but she wanted to watch until it was completely dried up.

Back then, Maki told her that it would dry up in no time, and she replied that that’s the way it should be.

But now she wasn’t so sure.

When she impulsively decided to draw their symbol, did she want that?  Or maybe…she wanted it to feel like their symbol would be forever ingrained on the rooftop?  As a sign that µ's existed, and would never truly be gone?

Tears were forming in her eyes before she knew it, and they got in the way of her sight.

“Huh…?  Why am I…?”

She knew that this was the best choice.  µ's wouldn’t be the same without Eli, Nozomi or Nico.  She didn’t want a µ's without them, no matter what.

But it still…

A loud slap resounded across the rooftop.

Honoka quickly wiped away her tears and disregarded the stinging pain she felt on her cheeks.

This wasn’t the time to cry.  She had to hold it in or she’d regret it.

When she glanced back to the spot on the rooftop where the µ's symbol was drawn, there was no longer anything there.

…

The others were waiting by the gate of Otonokizaka, and after some time, Honoka eventually came out of the school.

They smiled and started to wave her over, but Umi froze for a moment when she saw Honoka’s eyes and the faint red marks on her cheeks.

Umi reached out her arm and took a step forward, but she was then stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

When she turned to look, all she saw was Kotori gently shaking her head, telling her not to talk about it.

Honoka caught up with the group as she put on a brave smile.

“Shall we go?”

They smiled back at her, then they all turned around to leave the school, except for one. 

Eli lightly gripped the sleeves on Nozomi and Nico’s blazers, and the two of them glanced back in surprise.

“Elicchi?”

“Eli?”

The rest of them glanced back as well once they realized that Nozomi, Nico and Eli stopped walking, and they watched Eli curiously.

Eli removed her hands from their blazers, then quickly wiped away something on her face before anybody else could see it.

She took a deep breath, then looked at the school with a warm expression.

“There’s something us third-years have to do first,” Eli reminded them quietly, and it only took a few moments before Nozomi and Nico realized what she meant.

“You’re right,” Nozomi said as she smiled gently, then turned around to stand by Eli’s side.

“I guess we should after all,” Nico said light-heartedly, but also smiled as she turned around and stood on the other side of Eli.

The three of them stared at the school for a few moments, and their eyes relaxed on the symbol of Otonokizaka.

They glanced to each other for a short moment, then all nodded as they looked to the school again.

“Thank you very much!” they said in unison as they bowed.

Otonokizaka took care of them for three years, and it was now time for them to thank it properly.

It wasn’t a fancy school like UTX, nor did it have anything specifically unique to it.

But it felt like home.

As the group started to get sentimental once more, three girls were watching the scene from behind them.

 “Should we really interrupt…?” Anju whispered as she looked toward the other two, but they looked conflicted as well.

“It’s a bit difficult to find the right moment…” Erena agreed with her, and Tsubasa sighed quietly.

“Well we have to tell-“ she started, but was cut off by Hanayo’s sounds of shock.

“A-RISE?!” Hanayo loudly revealed that they were there, and the rest of them looked toward A-RISE as well, surprised.

Tsubasa quickly cleared her throat, then approached the group.

“Congratulations on graduating,” she greeted them sincerely, and Eli stepped forward as well.

“Congratulations to you three, as well,” Eli replied happily, and Tsubasa smiled.

Nozomi stepped forward as well, then gave Tsubasa, Erena and Anju a curious look.

“You didn’t come all the way here just for that though, right?” Nozomi asked with a tilt of her head, and Tsubasa laughed a bit.

"You’re right.  Do you all have some time for a quick talk?” Tsubasa asked as she looked to the group.

The nine of them glanced to each other, but then nodded back.

…

They all visited a nearby diner, and A-RISE explained the situation to the rest of them.

A-RISE were able to discuss the situation with their new management company, and after the company learned that µ's was going to disband, they were able to agree on an event.

Even though the company was only in charge of A-RISE, doing this event would of course increase their popularity, but they also couldn’t refuse the earnest looks on the members of A-RISE’s faces.

One last show.

A final farewell for µ's.

* * *

Yukiho and Alisa were watching a recording of their practice on Alisa’s laptop, when Alisa suddenly got an email notification.

“Ah!  A-RISE!” Alisa said excitedly as she navigated to it.

When A-RISE signed up with their management company, they let everyone know, and of course, Alisa instantly signed up so that she would be notified every time something happened with A-RISE.

However, she tilted her head in confusion when she recognized different faces in the video's thumbnail.

“Yukiho, look…” she murmured, and Yukiho brought her attention back to the laptop as Alisa clicked the video.

On the screen, everyone in µ's were standing side-by-side, and then the three members of A-RISE suddenly walked into view of the camera.

“Hello everyone,” Tsubasa greeted the camera with a sense of charisma, and Anju quickly stepped in front of her, looking excited.

“We’re A-RISE!  And if you know us, then you probably also know…” she trailed off, then stepped to the side as she reached out her arms, motioning toward µ's.

“µ's!” she happily finished her sentence, then Erena lightly tapped her on the shoulder and took her place in front of the camera.

“We’ll be holding an event with them two weeks from now.  We’ll each sing some songs from our group, and then at the end we’ll-“ she announced confidently, but Anju reached from behind and gently held a hand to Erena's mouth, stopping her.

“That’s a surprise, Erena,” she playfully reminded her, and Erena acted as if she forgot.

Tsubasa took their place, then smiled.

“Make sure to come see it.  Now, they wanted to announce something to all of you…” she cut herself off, and then the members of A-RISE walked off to the side, out of the camera’s view.

Now, everyone in µ's were holding hands with soft smiles on their faces as they stared back at the camera, and then Honoka spoke.

“Hello everyone.  We’re Otonokizaka’s school idol group, µ's.  We…” Honoka stopped for a short moment, then Kotori and Umi, who were on each side of her, gently tightened the grip on her hands to support her.  It was clear that this video had taken multiple takes to finally get right.

“…we, µ's, have decided that we’ll be disbanding after this concert is over," Honoka finished.

“Onee-chan…” Yukiho said quietly as she held her hands together, and tears started to form in Alisa’s eyes.

In the video, they were quiet for a few more moments, letting everyone comprehend it, then Honoka continued.

“We love being school idols.  Singing for our school and our fans, completing alongside one another, and joining hand in hand, we love all of it.  Trying to shine as bright as we can with the limited time we have…we love that about school idols!” she said heartfelt, then glanced to everyone else in µ's, who quickly gave her an encouraging nod in response.

Honoka turned her gaze back to the camera.

“All of us in µ's want to cherish this feeling, so that’s the decision we’ve come to.  But…that doesn’t mean that the concert will be a farewell for us.”

“We’ll be singing for all the school idols and everyone who supports them!  So please, come see us!” Honoka shouted enthusiastically, and everyone in µ's bowed to the camera.

After that, A-RISE appeared back on camera, and talked a bit longer about the details of the event.  Then, the video finished.

Yukiho quickly wiped away the tears that were coming, then stood up.

“Let’s do it!” she said seriously, and Alisa stared up at her, astonished.

“Huh…?” she murmured, and Yukiho turned her gaze downward to Alisa, then smiled brightly.

“Let’s go to the concert!  We’ll send our sisters off properly, just like they need us to!  We owe it to them after all they’ve done.”

Alisa stared in amazement for a few more moments, then wiped away her tears as well.

“Yeah!”

* * *

With the help of A-RISE’s management team, the news of the concert spread like wildfire.  Everyone learned of the plan for µ's to disband, and on the day of the event, the turnout was twice the size of the Love Live finals.

A-RISE and µ's performed many of their songs, and at the end of the event, performed a brand-new song together.

It wasn’t perfect since they only had two weeks to practice, but the fans loved it.  It conveyed their emotions perfectly, and at the end, the crowd cheered for far longer than they needed to.

Everyone in µ's were just barely able to contain their tears as they left the stage, as the fans shouted words of encouragement and thanks toward them.

With this, they did it properly, just like they wanted.

Farewell µ's.


	29. Tsubasa's Support

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

“So heavy…” Honoka lightheartedly complained about the weight of the gifts, and Tsubasa chuckled as she unlocked the door and opened it wide for Honoka.

“You should be happy,” Tsubasa reminded her, then walked behind Honoka and into the apartment.

Honoka gently set down the gifts on the nearest table, then collapsed onto the nearby couch as she breathed a sigh of relief.

“I am happy!  I just didn’t think there’d be so much…” Honoka said softly, then turned on her side as she looked at Tsubasa.

Tsubasa also set down some of the gifts she was holding for Honoka, then walked over to the couch Honoka was laying on and crouched beside it.

“It’s because they care about you so much,” Tsubasa said with a smile as she reached a hand out and tucked some of Honoka’s hair behind her ear, then rested her hand on Honoka’s cheek.

Honoka smiled as well, then reached her hands toward her own cheek as she gently held onto Tsubasa’s hand.

“I know,” she replied warmly.

Today was August 3rd, Honoka’s birthday.

Nozomi, Nico and Eli had graduated, and now Honoka, Kotori and Umi were third-years.  Of course, Maki, Hanayo and Rin also moved up a grade, becoming second-years.

They were on their summer vacation, and the second term was going to start in September. 

Though, to the nine of them, it seemed like March was only yesterday.

To celebrate Honoka’s birthday, they were all able to meet up at a station square, and they went wherever Honoka wished to go.  Of course, A-RISE joined them.

Though Nozomi, Nico, Eli and A-RISE had busy schedules, they still managed to meet up for all of their friends’ birthdays at least.

Now, Honoka was relaxing in Tsubasa’s new apartment.  Honoka still lived with her parents at Homura, but Tsubasa said that she’d be fine with Honoka moving in whenever.  Honoka still blushed at the thought despite the fact that they’ve been together for almost a year now.

Tsubasa looked happily at Honoka’s face for a few more moments, then slowly stood up as she stretched.

“Alright, it’s time,” Tsubasa said ambiguously, and Honoka gave her a curious look as Tsubasa started to walk away.

“Eh?  Time for what?” Honoka asked as she sat up on the couch, but she didn’t receive an answer.

Tsubasa quietly hummed to herself as she waked into the kitchen, then she grabbed the container that was hidden out of view from the living room.

Honoka watched with a blank expression as Tsubasa walked out of view, but her eyes widened when Tsubasa came back, carrying a container with two small plates and forks on top of it.

“I-Is that…” Honoka murmured in anticipation as she almost instantly realized what it was.

Strawberry cake.

“Mhm.  Made it just for you,” Tsubasa replied excitedly, then gently set the cake down on the table next to Honoka.

A few weeks ago, Tsubasa asked Honoka to teach her how to bake and make sweets, and Honoka enthusiastically accepted.  But she couldn’t imagine that this was what it was all for.

“Tsubasa-chan…” Honoka whispered in bliss, then started to reach her hand out toward the cake, but she stopped herself as her expression turned grave.

“Umi-chan will get angry,” Honoka dejectedly reminded herself as she hung her head, then Tsubasa tilted her head in confusion.

“Umi-san?  Why would she?” Tsubasa asked simply, not understanding.

She knew that Honoka loved strawberries, so this reaction was a bit unexpected.  She honestly thought that Honoka would just enthusiastically start eating it all, similar to how she treated the sundae on their first date.

Honoka raised her head, then brought her index fingers together, fiddling with them bashfully.

“Well, Umi-chan said I’ve been gaining weight, so I need to diet again…” she admitted shyly with a small blush.

Tsubasa eyed Honoka’s face with suspicion, then sat down next to Honoka on the couch.

She brought her hand to the bottom of Honoka’s shirt, then slowly raised it, revealing Honoka’s stomach.

“Looks fine to me,” Tsubasa remarked matter-of-factly as she looked at Honoka’s stomach, not noticing a difference, but Honoka shouted in surprise and quickly lowered her shirt.

“Tsubasa-chan!” Honoka pouted, not wanting to show Tsubasa, but Tsubasa quietly laughed.

Tsubasa then reached her hand out and lightly shoved Honoka, then quickly followed so she was straddled on top of Honoka.

Honoka stared up at her and swallowed subconsciously, not sure what was going to happen.

Tsubasa brought her hand to Honoka’s stomach again, then smiled softly.

“Seriously, I don’t see it.  But if you’re that worried about it, we can always exercise together,” she suggested simply, and then Honoka slowly smiled.

“Okay!  Then I’ll ask for your help, Tsubasa-chan!” she replied enthusiastically, but then Tsubasa gently brought a finger to Honoka’s lips.

“One more thing,” Tsubasa said calmly, and Honoka looked back at her with a surprised expression.

She slightly wriggled so Tsubasa’s finger wasn’t on her mouth, then spoke.

“What is it?”

Tsubasa looked into Honoka’s eyes.

“I want you to call me Tsubasa from now on.”

Honoka looked back at her in confusion.

“Eh?  But I always call you Tsubasa-chan,” she said simply, not understanding the sudden request, and then Tsubasa lowered herself and changed their positions, so that they were now lying on their sides, facing each other.

“I know, but I want you to change it,” Tsubasa said as she ran a hand through Honoka’s hair.

She knew that it was an odd request from Honoka’s perspective, but she still insisted on it.

However, Honoka tilted her head, still not comprehending it.

“But I always say names like that.  Umi-chan, Kotori-chan, Anju-chan, and you, Tsubasa-chan,” Honoka reminded her with a blank expression on her face, then Tsubasa sighed happily.

“I’m aware.  I want to be special to you, though.  Can’t you do it?” Tsubasa pleaded sincerely, and Honoka blushed.

Of course Tsubasa was special to her, that went without saying.  She could tell Tsubasa all about the things that only the two of them did, or she could tell Tsubasa how much she loves her.

But if it was just a simple request like this…

“T-Tsubasa,” Honoka stammered out with a faint blush, and Tsubasa smiled.

“Good girl,” she replied playfully, then giggled as Honoka immediately complained.

…

With Tsubasa’s encouragement, Honoka relented to her desires and they ate the strawberry cake together.

Honoka pouted a bit afterwards, and after Tsubasa pressed her for information, she said that she was sad that Tsubasa could already bake better than her.  Tsubasa however, felt that Honoka’s worries couldn’t be further from the truth.

They laughed together afterwards, then moved on to Tsubasa’s gifts.  They were all normal for the most part, ranging from clothes to accessories to practical gifts.

Except for one.

“Huh?  What’s this?” Honoka asked as she took the item out of the box, then twiddled it curiously.

It was a cute collar with a small bell.

Tsubasa watched with amusement as Honoka messed with it, then Honoka’s eyes rested on the bell as she realized it.

“Ah!  Are you going to get a cat, Tsubasa?!” Honoka asked excitedly as she quickly ran up to Tsubasa with eyes full of expectation.

Tsubasa was taken by surprise, and then averted her eyes from Honoka’s innocent gaze.

‘Why would it be a gift for you if it was for a cat?’ she thought to herself, then cleared her throat due to nervousness.

“Well actually-“ she started, wanting to reveal the joke, but Honoka quickly stepped closer, full of energy.

“Do you already have a name in mind?  What’s it look like?  Can I see?” Honoka pressed her for answers enthusiastically, and then Tsubasa looked further away from Honoka, no longer having the heart to tell her that it was just a joke gift.

…

Tsubasa somehow escaped the conversation without revealing the secret, and then Honoka offered to help Tsubasa continue to unpack her belongings.

“You really don’t have to, you know,” Tsubasa said with a hint of guilt in her voice.  If she hadn’t put off unpacking for so long, then Honoka wouldn’t have felt the need to help on her birthday.

However, Honoka just smiled.

“It’s fine, it’s fine!  It’ll be done faster with two people anyway!” Honoka said energetically as she opened another box.

Underwear.

Honoka eyed the box’s contents for a few moments, then slowly closed the box and pushed it back toward the pile, pretending that she never opened it.

Tsubasa saw it out of the corner of her eye, and then made a mental note to check that box next, wondering what made Honoka react like that.

“You have a lot of stuff though…” Honoka remarked quietly as she opened another box, then walked to the closet with it.

“Really?  I think you just have too little,” Tsubasa calmly replied with a smirk, then grabbed the box that Honoka previously opened.

When she opened it, all she could do was let out a small laugh.

Figures.

“That’s not true!  I have my phone, clothes, and…” Honoka trailed off and stopped counting on her fingers as she drew a blank.

Maybe Tsubasa was right.

“Uhm, I also have…” Honoka started again, but couldn’t think of anything else, and Tsubasa smiled.

“Well, we can share my stuff when you move in here,” Tsubasa said absentmindedly as she started to put her underwear in the drawer, and then Honoka walked back into the room as she brought a finger to her chin and thought about it.

“Hmm…I don’t know where I’ll go…” Honoka murmured simply, then Tsubasa raised an eyebrow as she looked at her.

“What do you mean?” Tsubasa asked as she tilted her head, and Honoka held a hand to the back of her own head as she let out a nervous laugh.

“Well, I haven’t really thought about what happens after I graduate!” Honoka admitted, then Tsubasa gave her a curious look before turning her attention back to unpacking.

“Are your grades okay?”

“Mhm!  Umi-chan and Kotori-chan have been helping me!” Honoka replied energetically, and Tsubasa offered a silent apology to Kotori and Umi.

“That’s good then,” Tsubasa calmly remarked, then opened a different box.

She smiled when she saw what she took from Anju a while ago, a poster of Honoka.

That was definitely going to go on the wall.

Tsubasa started to hum absentmindedly as she continued unpacking, but Honoka looked at her with surprise, expecting more questions about the future.

“What do you want me to do, Tsubasa?”

“Hm?  About what?”

Honoka had a blank expression on her face, shocked that the conversation slipped Tsubasa’s mind so easily, as she thought it was important.

“About my future…” Honoka reminded her with a sigh, and Tsubasa momentarily stopped moving as she thought about it.

“Hm…well, I can’t really tell you what to do,” Tsubasa replied lightheartedly as she smiled, but Honoka looked at her curiously.

“Huh?  Why not?”

Tsubasa gently set the box that she was holding down on the ground, then turned around to look at Honoka.

“Well, you talked about how your parents wouldn’t mind you taking over Homura.  But really, you can do whatever you want.  I’ll support you in whatever you want to do,” Tsubasa said calmly, then brightened up as an idea popped into her head.

“Ah!  But a teacher Honoka would be pretty cute!” she said happily, then turned back around and picked the box up.

“Just kidding,” she calmly added on, wanting Honoka to come to her own conclusion.

Honoka stared at Tsubasa’s back with a smile on her face.

It was just like Tsubasa to say something like that.

‘A teacher, huh…’ Honoka thought to herself for a moment, then decided to focus on unpacking again.

…

They actually managed to finish unpacking all of Tsubasa’s belongings, and they were both exhausted by the end of it.

Tsubasa walked back into her room with two glasses of water, then put on an astonished expression when she saw that Honoka was blissfully sleeping away on the bed.

This girl…

Just then, Tsubasa recalled something important.

She left the room momentarily, then came back with a small object in her hand.

Tsuabsa slowly approached Honoka, making sure to be as quiet as possible, then crouched down next to the bed.

She brought the small tape measure to Honoka’s hand, then gently measured a finger.


	30. Epilogue - Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

“I won’t forget you guys…” Rin murmured as she cried into Kotori’s chest, tightly gripping onto her blazer as well.

Kotori gently held on to Rin’s back and smiled sadly.

“Thank you, Rin-chan,” Kotori whispered, and Rin reluctantly pulled away.

Honoka, Umi and Kotori graduated from Otonokizaka today.

Yukiho was the underclassmen representative that gave the farewell address, and she was also the first first-year student council president in the history of Otonokizaka.  Honoka was just barely able to control herself from running on stage and hugging Yukiho in front of everyone.

Now it was their time to leave, just like the third-years before them.

Hanayo and Rin had tears in their eyes as they stood at the gate.

“Make sure to keep your grades up, okay?” Umi said warmly as she looked down to Hanayo, who then slowly nodded.

Maki had her eyes averted from the third-years as she bit her lower lip softly to stop herself from crying as well.

Honoka looked at Maki kindly for a few moments, then outstretched her arms toward Maki.

“Maki-chan,” Honoka called out to her quietly.

Maki turned her gaze to Honoka, then glanced down to Honoka’s arms.  She raised an eyebrow, confused.

“W-What?” Maki said in an unintentionally abrasive tone, then widened her eyes a bit in response to her own voice.

She was only trying to hold it in.

Honoka smiled softly, knowing Maki’s personality well enough by now to tell that she was just embarrassed, then she spoke again.

“Give me a hug.”

Maki stared at Honoka in surprise for a second, then blushed lightly as she looked away again.

“H-Huh?!  Why would I…” Maki started to reject it immediately, but then looked back in Honoka’s direction, only to see her still smiling.

Maki fidgeted a bit nervously, then sighed.

“Just this once, okay?” Maki murmured as she moved into Honoka’s embrace, then smiled softly at how warm it was.

…

They talked for a bit longer, then Honoka, Umi and Kotori split away from the second-years.

The three of them walked aimlessly for a bit, and Umi jokingly complained that it was impossible to walk anywhere in the district without seeing an A-RISE poster.

Eventually, they decided to visit a nearby café so that they could talk in peace.

“Thank you,” Honoka said as she smiled appreciatively at the waitress, then brought the coffee cup near her lips and started to gently blow air to cool it down.

Meanwhile, Umi and Kotori were staring at Honoka with shock.

“Honoka-chan…?” Kotori asked, unsure if the girl in front of her really was her childhood friend.

“Since when do you drink coffee?” Umi asked curiously.

Honoka was a bit taken aback, and then set the cup down on the table.

“But you didn’t say anything when I ordered it?” Honoka tilted her head as she asked, making sure her memory was correct.

Umi sighed softly.

“We thought it was a joke,” Umi teased her with a small smile on her lips.

“What kind of joke is that?!” Honoka immediately reacted, and then the three of them laughed.

…

“It’s been a whole year since then…” Honoka whispered with a small smile.

There wasn’t a single day in their third year that they didn’t think about µ's, or about Nozomi, Eli and Nico.

Before, it was sad to think about it, but now…

“That’s right,” Umi replied warmly as she looked down at her reflection in her drink.

“We had a lot of fun, didn’t we?” Kotori asked happily as she glanced to the other two.

They both quickly nodded.

Umi looked up from her drink, then decided to change the subject.

“I still can’t believe that I’ll be in the same university as Honoka…” Umi said dejectedly, as if she had failed.

Honoka put her hands on the table and quickly leaned up.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Honoka replied in shock, surprised that Umi didn’t seem happy about it.

Kotori giggled, then leaned against Umi.

“It’s all thanks to you, Umi-chan!”

Umi blushed faintly, then turned her gaze to Kotori and started to trip on her own words.

“Y-You helped too, K-Kotori!” she denied the praise embarrassedly.

Honoka smiled, then sat back down.

At the start of their third year, Honoka still wasn’t sure what she wanted to do once she graduated. 

Her parents had told her that she could work at Homura, but they also said that they’d support her in whatever she wanted to do.

Then, she had a talk with Tsubasa, who told her basically the same thing.

Honoka thought hard about where she wanted to go, and what she wanted to do.  Eventually, she reached her choice.

Umi and Kotori were supportive of her from the start, and they helped her study when they could make time.

“You can still take over your family’s dojo,” Honoka jokingly teased the depressed Umi.

Umi was always the smartest of the three of them, so when Honoka actually managed to get a higher score than her on the entrance exam, it caused a severe confidence loss.

However, Umi kept her competitive spirit.

“No way, I’m definitely going to school and doing better than you,” Umi declared their rivalry with a smile, and Honoka looked at her softly.

Then, both of their gazes turned to Kotori.

As for her…

“I’ll miss you, Kotori-chan!” Honoka shouted sadly as she tried to reach across the table to hug Kotori but failed.

Kotori gently bit her lower lip to prevent tears, then tried the same thing as Honoka.

“I’ll miss you too, Honoka-chan!”

Umi stared at the two with an expression of disbelief, then sighed as she raised a hand over each of their heads.

Chop.

“Ow! Umi-chan!” Honoka immediately complained as she retreated to her seat and rubbed the top of her head.

“Umi-chan, that hurt…” Kotori murmured as she cradled her head, as if she was going to be hit again.

Umi sighed again quietly.

“Our schools are only fifteen minutes apart!” Umi reminded them with a scolding tone, unable to hold back due to Honoka and Kotori’s ridiculous farewell scene.

…

They continued to talk for a while longer, but then Kotori suddenly remembered something.

“Umi-chan!” Kotori called out in a panicked voice.

Umi looked at her curiously, and then Kotori leaned in close to Umi’s ear.

Honoka stared at the two in confusion as they whispered back and forth, and then Kotori and Umi both nervously stood up.

“We have to go do…something,” Umi said suspiciously after a long pause.

However, Kotori quickly nodded in agreement.

“Mhm!  Bye, Honoka-chan!” Kotori added on, and before Honoka could react, the two of them quickly walked away from the scene and out of the shop.

Honoka sat there, flabbergasted for a moment.

That obviously wasn’t natural, but she couldn’t come up with a reason as to why they would act like that.  She also could’ve sworn that she heard Tsubasa’s name come up…

Ah, Tsubasa.

Honoka suddenly remembered that Tsubasa had asked to be called whenever the graduation ceremony was over.

While panicking, Honoka quickly pulled out her phone and navigated to Tsubasa’s name in the address list.

She pressed the ‘call’ button, and the phone only rang for half a second before it was answered.

_‘Hello?’_

Honoka smiled when she heard Tsubasa’s voice, but then immediately tried to explain.

“Sorry Tsubasa!  We’re done with graduation, I forgot to tell you since I went somewhere with Umi-chan and Kotori-chan,” Honoka talked to her fervently without any space in her words, desperate to explain herself.

The voice on the phone laughed.

_‘Understood.  Just stay where you are.’_

Honoka tilted her head in confusion, but then the bells on the door of the café she was in rang, and Tsubasa walked inside.

“T-Tsubasa?!” Honoka stood up from her seat in surprise, but Tsubasa motioned with her hand for Honoka sit back down, so she did.

Tsubasa walked over to where Honoka was, then sat on the opposite side of the table as she raised one leg over the other.

“How was it?” Tsubasa asked with a natural smile.

Honoka breathed a sigh, then looked down at her own hands as she joined them together.

“Seeing Yukiho give her speech made me really happy, and I cried a little bit.  I’m happy, but…” Honoka trailed off.

Tsubasa gave her a curious look.

“But?”

Honoka smiled sadly as she remembered the faces of Hanayo, Rin and Maki.

“But now I know how Nozomi-chan, Eli-chan and Nico-chan felt.  Sometimes…I wish that we didn’t have to graduate,” Honoka admitted something she didn’t want to bring up with Kotori or Umi. 

She knew that they had to be feeling sad about leaving as well.

Tsubasa looked at Honoka with a conflicted expression, but then quickly stood up from her seat.

“There are good things about graduating too,” she said confidently as she stretched out her hand toward Honoka.

Honoka was confused, but then decided to take her girlfriend’s hand regardless.

…

Tsubasa brought her to the park near Otonokizaka.

Aside from being the place that the two of them visit on their morning run, this place was also the start of it all.

When Tsubasa confessed to Honoka, and Honoka couldn’t give her a response, Tsubasa retreated here.

And Honoka caught her love here.

 Tsubasa wouldn’t answer Honoka’s question about the good parts of graduation, but Honoka quickly forgot about it as she ran to the railings, just like she did every time she came here.

“It’s so pretty…” Honoka murmured as she gazed at the lake, the sun shining on it beautifully.

Tsubasa laughed quietly as she walked to Honoka’s side.

“You don’t have to say the same thing every time,” Tsubasa teased her, and Honoka playfully pouted in response.

“It’s true though!” Honoka insisted, then relaxed again.

Tsubasa looked at Honoka’s face and smiled.

She offered a silent thank you to Kotori and Umi for their help, then reached into her pocket as she grasped a small box.

“Honoka.”

Honoka turned her gaze away from the water, then looked directly at Tsubasa as she wondered what she wanted.

Tsubasa let out a soft sigh to ready herself, then stared into Honoka’s eyes.

“Will you marry me?”


	31. Epilogue - Part Two (END)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'

“Agh, just sit still Honoka!” Umi demanded as she became increasingly frustrated with how her friend was acting.

However, Honoka continued to squirm away from Umi’s grasp, desperate to not be harmed again.

“You’re too rough, Umi-chan!  It hurts!” Honoka exclaimed, not intending to cooperate.

The two watching from the sidelines became exhausted at the scene, but they were struggling to come up with a way to handle it gently.

“Umi-chan…” Kotori whispered as she reached out her hand, but then brought it back right away, still unsure.

“You’re not really…” Maki trailed off as well, surprisingly being unable to say anything.  After all, she still clearly remembered the moments of ‘Angry Umi.’

Suddenly, the door to the room slammed open, and Anju and Erena excitedly walked in, but then immediately froze.

“…what’s this?” Erena asked after a long pause, not sure what to call the act that was being performed in front of her.

Umi looked at her confused, then pointed toward Honoka, as if it was obvious.

“I’m doing her makeup,” Umi replied casually.

Erena sighed quietly, and Anju quickly walked over to them, and then gently pushed Umi away from Honoka.

“Wha-!?” Umi was taken aback, but Kotori and Maki didn’t miss the chance given to them as they each grabbed one of Umi’s arms.

“You were just making it worse,” Maki calmly explained, and Kotori reluctantly nodded her head.

“Totally!” Anju immediately agreed with Maki and then quickly started on fixing Honoka’s appearance.

Umi hung her head in shame and Kotori gently patted her back to comfort her.

…

Honoka smiled softly as Anju worked her magic, and then she looked at both her and Erena.

“Thank you for coming, Erena-chan, Anju-chan,” Honoka said warmly as she turned her gaze to herself in the mirror.

Anju giggled quietly, then took a quick glance at Umi.

“I know, right?  If it wasn’t for us, something might have happened,” Anju said playfully.

Just as Umi was about to reply, Erena gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Anju doesn’t mean it.  She’ll even give you lessons if you really want them,” Erena explained to ease any tensions, but Umi just quietly sighed as she relaxed.

“I know, don’t worry.  We all know Anju-san well enough by now,” Umi said the last part with a dejected tone to tease Anju.

Anju just quickly stuck her tongue out toward Umi before turning her attention back to Honoka.

“And, we wouldn’t miss this for the world, Honoka-chan,” Anju said happily, and the rest of the group smiled.

Just then, two girls with short hair poked their heads into the doorway.

“Huh?  What happened to the door, nya?” Rin asked curiously, the signs of Anju and Erena’s dramatic entrance still visible.

“Rin-chan, Hanayo-chan!” Honoka greeted them excitedly and went to stand up to greet them, but then was swiftly pushed back down by Anju.

Hanayo and Rin nervously laughed at Anju’s behavior, then slowly walked into the room to join the others.

“You look beautiful, Honoka-chan,” Hanayo praised her sincerely, and Honoka blushed in response.

“Seriously!  You could be a model or something!” Rin energetically joined in.

Anju playfully scratched the back of her head in embarrassment as if she was the one being praised, and Erena smirked.

“They’re talking about Honoka-san, not your makeup work,” Erena whispered next to Anju’s ear to tease her, and Anju slightly jumped in response to the sudden sensation.

“Erena!” Anju complained quietly as a small blush formed on her cheeks, and Erena laughed.

Umi stepped closer to Hanayo and Rin, then looked at them curiously.

“Do either of you know where the others are?” Umi asked simply.

Hanayo and Rin looked at each other, surprised.

“Huh?  They’re already here…” Hanayo answered quietly, questioning her own memory, and then looked to Rin for confirmation.

“Mhm!  We saw them as we walked in!” Rin agreed with her, but it made the rest of them confused.

“Then where…?” Maki trailed off as she started to think for an answer.

* * *

“Are you sure about this?  You might lose some fans when they find out,” Nico said jokingly with a small smile.

Nico, Nozomi and Eli were together in a different room as they gathered around one person.

“Or I could gain some when they find out who it is,” Tsubasa retorted with a smirk, not letting even a joke ruin her long-awaited day.

Eli giggled softly.

“That’s true,” Eli admitted warmly as she smiled. 

They always knew that it was possible, and they often teased Honoka about it whenever they got the chance, but they were still shocked when they finally received the message.

Still, they’ve watched over the two since the very start, so it felt kind of fulfilling now that it actually reached this point.

The group was silent for a few moments, then Tsubasa called out to the person who hadn’t spoken in a bit.

“Nozomi-san, what do the cards say about the future?” she asked lightheartedly.

Nozomi was surprised to be suddenly singled out, but then quickly hid the cards that she was holding behind her back.

It was only a bit of curiosity.  She’d been proven before that the cards weren’t always right, but she still liked to check them every now and then, so it was only natural that she checked them this time.

She was pleasantly surprised with the results, but she refused to show them as she smiled softly.

“Your future’s up to you two, Tsubasa-chan.  You can’t let the cards decide for you,” Nozomi informed her simply.

Whether the cards showed that the future was bright, or if they showed that ruin awaited the two of them.

Whether or not the cards wanted to guide them along their path.

They had to forge their own journey together.

Tsubasa laughed gently.

“I know.  Thank you, Nozomi-san.”

Tsubasa offered her sincere thanks, and the three others relaxed.

Tsubasa noticed that their guard was now down.

She wasn’t going to let the opportunity go to waste.

She sprinted toward the door, and the rest of them were stunned for a short moment.

“Ah!  No, Tsubasa-san!  You can’t!” Eli yelled as she chased after Tsubasa, and Nozomi and Nico slowly followed.

As they walked, Nico glanced to Nozomi.

“So, what did they say?”

Nozomi smiled.

“I’m not telling you either, Nicocchi.”

* * *

Tsubasa ran into the room, and was then immediately followed by Eli, and the others looked at them with surprise.

“T-T-Tsubasa?!” Honoka stammered multiple times with embarrassment.

Just as Tsubasa turned to look at Honoka, her cheek was gently pinched by Eli.

“Noooo!” Tsubasa uncharacteristically pouted as she started to be dragged away, and the others’ expressions of surprise turned into amusement.

“You two aren’t allowed to see each other!” Eli reprimanded Tsubasa despite her complaints and quickly walked toward the door.

However, a voice made her stop.

“Isn’t it fine, Eli-chan?”

Eli turned back around in response to the voice, only to see a happy expression on Kotori’s face.

“Eh?!  But…” Eli trailed off as her shoulder was suddenly grabbed from behind.  She glanced behind her to find her assailant.

Nozomi and Nico had caught up with them, and Nozomi was smiling at her.

“It’ll be okay, Elicchi.  Just let them, it’s their day after all,” Nozomi tried to persuade Eli.

Eli moved her eyes from person to person, then sighed softly as she let go of Tsubasa’s cheek.

As soon as she was released, Tsubasa moved toward Anju and Erena, then her eyes widened as she found the blushing mess of a person between them.

She was frozen.  She had been with Honoka for a long time now, but she couldn’t remember the last time she was completely stunned like this.

“Honoka…” Tsubasa murmured, all the words she wanted to say suddenly gone from her memory.

“Tsubasa…” Honoka was shocked as well, and all they could do was stare in each other’s eyes.

The rest of them watched awkwardly as the two stared at each other for a long moment, then Umi noticed that they were slowly getting closer.

“Okay, stop!” Umi put an end to the love scene as she put her hand between the two.

They weren’t allowed to do that just yet.

Honoka and Tsubasa were snapped out of their trance, then laughed together.

Tsubasa was satisfied that she was able to see Honoka before it all started, and after they talked for a bit longer, Tsubasa headed back to her own room.

The others tirelessly ran from room to room, supporting their friends whenever they needed it.

…

After the preparations were finally over, Tsubasa was standing at the end of the carpet as her eyes scanned the crowd.

Former and current UTX students.

Former and current Otonokizaka students.

A-RISE’s management team.

The three girls who helped Honoka, Kotori and Umi give their very first performance in the auditorium.

The parents of the eight girls who helped Honoka form µ's.

Mrs. Kousaka, Honoka’s mother.

Mr. and Mrs. Kira, her own parents.

Alisa and Yukiho.

Anju and Erena.

Maki, Hanayo, and Rin.

Kotori and Umi.

Eli, Nozomi and Nico.

She recognized all of them in attendance. 

They had all eagerly replied to the invitations the day they received them, and now they were here to celebrate.

When she first started her career as a school idol, and relentlessly bugged Erena and Anju to join her, she never imagined that this kind of future would await her.  It was beyond her wildest imaginations.

However, she wouldn’t change a thing.

As Tsubasa started to get lost in her thoughts, the main doors of the room slowly opened, and all the eyes in the room looked in its direction.

Two pairs of feet stepped inside the room, and Tsubasa couldn’t hold back the bright smile forming on her face.

Honoka had an arm linked with her father, and the two of them slowly started to walk down the aisle.

Today marked the beginning of their long journey together, and the new identity of Tsubasa.

Now she would start her life anew, as Kousaka Tsubasa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone.
> 
> Thank you all for reading this story to its completion. When I first started writing this, I was positive that nobody was going to bother reading it, as it was my first story and I lacked experience.
> 
> I was proven wrong.
> 
> The amount of support that I've received has been incredible. I'm incredibly happy that I was able to share this story with you all.
> 
> I'm aware that my story has its faults, but I sincerely hope that you were all able to enjoy it regardless.
> 
> To every single one of you -
> 
> Thank you so much.


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